Where were you?
It was a Dylan moment. Toumani Diabate has gone electric. Some people did actually walk out, though no-one shouted 'Judas'. Some simply never made it back from the bar after Cheikh Lo's set.
Imagine a rock group centred around a harp. Change the harp into a kora - a calabash covered in cow hide with 21 fishing line strings. Then change the rock into a mix of Thomas Mapfumo, the occasional latin beat, and a bit of West African Mandinka influence. Add in lots of heavy drumming. And there you have it. But not the chilled out music we've come to expect from collaborations with such as the much lamented Ali Farka Toure. It was a night to rock.
But this was the usual club scene from Friday night in the Le Hogon Club, Bamako transferred to the Symphony Hall. Toumani with his house band, the Symmetric Orchestra. They come from the old Mandinka Empire - split up by the Europeans into an unnatural set of nation states that have never really worked - Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. Now united culturally, if not politically. The kora backed by a balafon and often a call and response with the ngoni (a small West African guitar). And a totally mad drummer with a drum strapped between his legs ending every song, no matter how quietly it started, with a manic display of percussion that you don't usually get from the CBSO.
Not that Simon Rattle's wife ever wandered across the stage in the middle of the set and dropped off the stage to take her place at the front either. Though that might liven up the more boring bits of Wagner.
Cheikh Lo had started the evening in similar style. We had been told in the cafe that he was the new Bob Marley. Well no he isn't. He isn't even rasta. His dreadlocks belong to the Baye Fall, a mystic brotherhood within the Mourides [the dominant sect of Senegalese Islam]. From online reviews of the cd, among them, http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/music/97/08/21/CHEIKH_LO.html
it sounds like we could have done with a translation of the songs. But the Cuban and Brazilian influence in the music and again the heavy drumming in the backing made the point anyway. And there was the guy who seemed to be playing his armpits, till I realised there was a small talking drum tucked away in there, the notes bent as he worked his arm over it.
But where was everyone. No more than 400 turned up, which made the Symphony Hall seem really empty as they were spread over two levels. After all Toumani has just won a Grammy for his last cd. And there was lots of coverage of the tour. No doubt when the Symp Hall put on their hits from the adverts concerts it will be full. But for an exceptional evening of music the people of Birmingham would rather watch the football. How sad.
Imagine a rock group centred around a harp. Change the harp into a kora - a calabash covered in cow hide with 21 fishing line strings. Then change the rock into a mix of Thomas Mapfumo, the occasional latin beat, and a bit of West African Mandinka influence. Add in lots of heavy drumming. And there you have it. But not the chilled out music we've come to expect from collaborations with such as the much lamented Ali Farka Toure. It was a night to rock.
But this was the usual club scene from Friday night in the Le Hogon Club, Bamako transferred to the Symphony Hall. Toumani with his house band, the Symmetric Orchestra. They come from the old Mandinka Empire - split up by the Europeans into an unnatural set of nation states that have never really worked - Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. Now united culturally, if not politically. The kora backed by a balafon and often a call and response with the ngoni (a small West African guitar). And a totally mad drummer with a drum strapped between his legs ending every song, no matter how quietly it started, with a manic display of percussion that you don't usually get from the CBSO.
Not that Simon Rattle's wife ever wandered across the stage in the middle of the set and dropped off the stage to take her place at the front either. Though that might liven up the more boring bits of Wagner.
Cheikh Lo had started the evening in similar style. We had been told in the cafe that he was the new Bob Marley. Well no he isn't. He isn't even rasta. His dreadlocks belong to the Baye Fall, a mystic brotherhood within the Mourides [the dominant sect of Senegalese Islam]. From online reviews of the cd, among them, http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/music/97/08/21/CHEIKH_LO.html
it sounds like we could have done with a translation of the songs. But the Cuban and Brazilian influence in the music and again the heavy drumming in the backing made the point anyway. And there was the guy who seemed to be playing his armpits, till I realised there was a small talking drum tucked away in there, the notes bent as he worked his arm over it.
But where was everyone. No more than 400 turned up, which made the Symphony Hall seem really empty as they were spread over two levels. After all Toumani has just won a Grammy for his last cd. And there was lots of coverage of the tour. No doubt when the Symp Hall put on their hits from the adverts concerts it will be full. But for an exceptional evening of music the people of Birmingham would rather watch the football. How sad.
posted by pegash at
7:32 pm
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