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Irresistible hip-swinging rhythms finally catch on with audience
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The Plain Dealer, Irresistible hip-swinging rhythms finally catch on with audience >>
Bonga Kwenda (born Barcelo De Carvalho) has been playing and recording the music of his native Angola for more than three decades.
Rooted in the Angolan semba tradition, his music has an undulating sway and a crisp rhythmic drive. Though renowned throughout Africa and Europe, he's a relative unknown in the United States, a fact that might explain the initially cool audience response to his Friday night concert at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The performance got off to a slow start, with Bonga's backup musicians wandering casually onto the stage making soft clicks, whistles and hisses with their mouths, and then gradually building a slow groove on their instruments. Bonga entered and unassumingly began singing "Kambomborinho," a slow ballad from his latest release, "Kaxexe."
The polite applause that met his first few songs seemed to indicate that the audience didn't quite know what to make of this middle-aged former track star and political activist with the raspy voice and stiff stage presence. The crowd caught on by the end of the 90-minute concert, however, with a few people even inspired enough to dance in the aisles.
It is believed that semba is the precursor of the Brazilian samba. The slave trade that took place between Angola and Brazil in the 17th and 18th centuries makes this theory credible. Similarities do exist between the two styles, particularly in the irresistible hip-swinging rhythms.
Bonga's band made the most of these rhythms, giving the faster numbers a big, sweeping flow. Playing the dikanze, a simple scraper made out of a long stick, he picked up on the propulsive beats set down by his musicians. He made the rudimentary instrument talk, getting a surprising variety of tone colors from it. Fusica (all of the musicians go by one name) set up a gently chugging backdrop on the accordion. Feijo's guitar playing had a resonant, chiming quality. Chiemba played a dynamic solo on the bass on the cranked-up "Mukanje," rumbling up and down the fret board and slapping the strings. Da Graca's drumming was assertive without being overwhelming.
Unfortunately, by the time musicians and audience warmed up to each other, the concert was over. 04/05/04
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