2008 Woodie Awards
Grammy Award winner delights at Edwards Hall
Christopher Barrett
Issue date: 2/5/08 Section: Entertainment
| |
|
On Friday, Grammy award winning musician Toumani Diabaté, backed by the equally impressive Symmetric Orchestra, delighted a crowd with upbeat music rooted in traditional West African culture during the 10th annual Pangaea: The URI Roots Music Series.
Indeed, there was little "traditional" about Friday's show. LED lights, a massive soundboard and electric guitars quickly dispelled any preconceived notions the crowd might have harbored about the artists presenting simplistic, bongo-dominated African dance-themed music.
While Diabaté, who plays the 21-string kora, a unique instrument that resembles a cross between a guitar and harp, was billed as the headliner of the show, the Symmetric Orchestra stole the spotlight.
Djembe player Boubakar Diabaté sent a body-vibrating beat through the audience that brought hands clapping and cheers of delight within the first 15 minutes. The sturdily built, sleeveless-T-shirt-wearing performer would remain a crowd favorite throughout the night for playing the hand drum instrument that resembles a bongo.
The orchestra kept the tempo upbeat for most of the night, slowing down only to give Toumani Diabaté a chance to show off his kora. Unknown to many Americans, the instrument contains 21 strings, can play three octaves and is played with two hands. And because the instrument contains both a baseline and melody, Toumani appeared at some points to be playing two harps simultaneously.
Toumani told the audience he comes from 71 generations of kora-players. The West African instrument is built from a bottom made from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge like a lute or guitar.
Being so foreign to Americans, the instrument drew sounds of awe from the crowd when Toumani turned it toward the audience.
That would be the only view the audience would see of the kora, as Toumani spent most of his time seated downstage on low-level platform (much to the disappointment of those on the balcony that struggled to steal a glance at the unique instrument and equally unique performer).
Originally from Mali, his style of music is - as he acknowledged himself during the show - considered by many Americans to be a blend of flamenco, blues and jazz. His sound turned heads in the West in 2006 after he won the Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album for his 2005 album In the Heart of the Moon.
He stopped by URI at the behest of Hutchinson Hall Director Michael LaPoint, adding Kingston to a tour that includes stops in Philadelphia, Australia and New Zealand.
"Music is the international language," Toumani told the audience. "We play for the river, we play for the birds, the animals."
And almost as on cue, the orchestra launched into a song with a somewhat tropical tune. One could almost imagine the band greeting a visitor to the West African coast as they stepped off a cruise ship to the sound of steel drums and a steady beat. A lighting scheme of blue with a touch of red seemed appropriate for the song and almost pushed aside memories of the dark and chilly weather visible through the auditorium's large windows.
It didn't take long after that for the band to bring the crowd to its feet and for audience members to loudly demand an encore.
After asking a young child in the front for advice, Toumani agreed to perform two more songs - more would send the young children in the audience home too late Toumani said, to the crowd's disappointment.
It appeared many quickly forgave him after the band commenced a high-tempo, foot-stomping song that drew dozens of audience members onstage. Without batting an eye, the orchestra played on surrounded by young and old until Toumani gently encouraged them to vacate the stage for his final song- a slower and more traditional piece featuring the kora.
It appeared a strange way to end what had been a fast-paced show and some audience members left early thinking the song that drew dancers onstage had been the grand finale.
Through the event's organizer, Toumani declined an interview with the Cigar after the show, a disappointing move as it's not every day someone of his stature comes to sleepy Kingston. On Feb. 1, however, Edwards was anything but sleepy.