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Concert Preview
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Philadelphia Inquirer, Concert Preview >>
Just past the halfway point of “Komine” on Habib Koite’s mesmerizing new double-live disc Foly! (World Village), there’s a moment when what had been an animated conversation between Koite, a descendant of Malian griots who sing and plays guitar, and the balafon master Keletigui Diabate fades to a whisper. The piece is skittering, typically breezy West African journey, and after the drums get a moment to shine, the two men resume their musical discussion. Koite toys with a crisp two-note rhythm pattern, and Diabate – who has worked with the Super Rail Band, Salif Keita, and others – strikes the marimbalike balafon to create a contrasting motif that, despite its technical intricacy, seems to lift the music off the ground. Neither musician steps out to claim the spotlight, but through precisely placed accents and subtle shifts in emphasis, the exchange swells into something fiery and intense yet never loud. Koite’s band, coming to the Zellerback Theater, can certainly roar, but is more persuasive in those quieter, more thoughtful conversations. - Tom Moon 02/13/04
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