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Full of energy, Maal transcends Troy stage
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The Times Union (Albany, NY), Full of energy, Maal transcends Troy stage >>
When the concert by premiere African musician Baaba Maal was announced for the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, there was a strong buzz among the Capital Region's world music fans.
Born in Senegal, Maal has long been one of Africa's most pivotal musicians, and he has been recording for two decades. Many of his albums during the '90s were expansive, wildly eclectic affairs, fusing his native music with such diverse elements as Celtic melodies and thumping electronic dance beats.
But his concert in Troy on Wednesday was an acoustic performance in which he returned to his more traditional roots, which must have kept away fans of his high-energy, electric, Afro-pop performances.
Too bad.
Dressed in regal purple- and white-striped robes, Maal began his show quietly enough, seated on a center stage stool, playing the ballad "Baayo," all by himself on acoustic guitar. His six musicians were seated on the stage floor around his feet. A large, brightly colored African quilt was suspended overhead like the canopy of a tent.
With his second selection, one of the musicians got up, slipped on his guitar and accompanied Maal. By the third song, two more guitarists and a kora player joined in. On the fourth song, two drummers were fueling the polyrhythmic groove to complete the ensemble.
Four tunes later, Maal had kicked off his slippers and was dancing barefoot around the stage.
Clearly, there was no energy shortage, and despite the unplugged nature of the music, Maal and his band delivered a megawatt performance. Tightly interwoven rhythms cascaded over the crowd, singing and clapping along. The guitars shimmered and chimed, adding to the hypnotic, spiritual sound. And Maal's strong, keening tenor voice -- singing in his native Fulani language -- rang throughout the hall with a soaring, passionate urgency.
He sang of the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS and the orphaned children in Africa, but he also rejoiced in life's many glories. And ultimately, he sang of unity.
It was a transcendent, spellbinding performance, rich and lustrous, and the only disappointment of the night was the sadly small size of the crowd.
FACTS:MUSIC REVIEW BAABA MAAL When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Where: Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, State and Second streets, Troy Length: 80 minutes The Crowd: Sadly, only about 350 fans were on hand to witness the magnificent performance. Upcoming: Next up on the hall's schedule of international music is a concert by the Masters of Mexican Music at 3 p.m. on April 4.
03/25/04
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