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| Joe's
Pub a Crossroads for African Music Traditions |
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| Photos
by William Farrington |
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| Joe's Pub
presented a week of fantastic music from Africa spanning music from Mali,
Zimbabwe, Madagascar. The intimate atmosphere of Joe's Pub provided
music fans a unique chance to savor the varieties of the Continent's musical
diversity. Spending the whole week at Joe's Pub was like sampling a
fine selection of Tapas that added up to a satisfying meal. This feature highlights the concerts of
Issa Bagayogo from Mali, Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe and the U.S. debut of
D'Gary from Madagascar. |
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Issa Bagayogo
(Mali) - Thursday, July 18, 2002 |
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| Issa
Bagayogo is unique in African music as he has successfully fused traditional
Malian music with contemporary beats. Listening the eclectic mix, if
one closed one's eyes, one could imagine being in a Bamako nightclub, at
times eccentric, at other times rooted in traditions. |
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Issa Bagayogo hails from
the Wassulu tradition in the Southwest region of Mali, the same area where
diva Oumo Sangaré comes from. He has received critical acclaim for his
ability to weave together the ancient melodies of Malian music with funky
bass and modern dance beats. |
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| He also know as a virtuoso of
the kamélé n' goni, a three stringed hunter's lute and also plays the
acoustic guitar, adding a unique sensibility to his music. He brought a
stripped down version of his sound to Joe’s pub, with a guitarist, bassist
and two dancers, along with himself. |
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| The band
used a technique of fusing recorded beats with live instrumentalists playing
instruments traditional to West Africa.
The electronic beats
provided the propulsion that fueled the music and dancing and kept the an
energetic tempo throughout the set. |
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| Bagayogo’s recent album,
entitled , presents his full-band sound and is a hybrid of traditional and
modern produced by producer/engineer Yves Wernert. |
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Thomas Mapfumo (Zimbabwe) - Friday, July 19,
2002 |
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| Thomas Mapfumo is known as
the “Lion of Zimbabwe and is renowned for his unique style of Mbira music
has developed a progressive blend of traditional Shona mbira music. |
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| He was instrumental in the
independence struggle of his people against the white Rhodesian rulers
during the 1970s. His Chimurenga (the Shona word for struggle) music was
renowned for fueling the independence movement. |
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| His band that night was a
stripped down version of The Blacks Unlimited who have loyally backed
Mapfumo for many years. The line-up included one mbira player along with
bass, guitar, percussion and drums. Mapfumo let him musicians the freedom to
improvise and the energy built throughout the set and filled the room and
captivated the audience, until the audience couldn’t sit still any longer
and came forward to dance in front of and even on the stage. At that point,
Mapfumo seemed most relaxed and in his element. |
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| His music still has political
relevance as is evident by his current state of exile in the U.S. as it is
clear that his music is appreciated by the people but not necessarily the
current regime clinging on the power in Zimbabwe. |
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| D'Gary
(Madagascar) - Saturday, July 20, 2002 |
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D’Gary was born in
Tananarive, Madagascar in 1961. He is from the Bara ethnic group who live
in the semi-desert Horombé high plateaus of southern Madagascar. The
sorrows of his people can be heard in the music he played at Joe’s Pub, both
in its sincerity and its directness. |
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| Rataza,
singer and dancer of the group |
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| This was his first New York
appearance and we were unsure of what to expect. He began with two solo
performances, in which he sat hunched over his acoustic guitar, totally
concentrated on the remarkable melodies which emanated from his guitar.
Later in the set, he was joined by two singers who also provided rhythm and
dance. The remainder of his repertoire were folkloric in nature.
It focused
on environmental and social issues being derived from
Tsapiky, music from the ghettos of Tulear. |
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| The audience was clearly
amazed at D’Gary’s incredible guitar skills, the originality of the melody
and rhythms, coupled with the speed at which he played, proved him one of
leading guitarists we have ever witnessed. He
had the ability that night to draw us into his reflective world with the
cascading notes of his guitar. |
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| D'Gary's most
recent release, "Akata Meso" features Rataza on vocals and Mario on
percussion and special guests |
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Rataza, singer
and dancer of the group |
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technicians and lighting direction at Joe's Pub added immeasurably to the
enjoyment of these top African music acts. In reflecting on the
music events of this past week at Joe's Pub, we feel privileged to have
witnessed this musical talent in such an intimate setting. |
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