Globalfest : Jan 8th at The Public Theater                 

For the second year in a row, I started the year with a show that I'll be hard pressed to top the rest of the year.  Globalfest is a music festival produced in conjunction with the Annual Arts Presenters Conference to give booking agents an opportunity to sample an assorted collection of acts from around the world.  With 13 acts on three stages, my only problem was deciding who to see.

I started with Paris Combo in Joe's Pub.  Led by Belle du Berry's writing and vocals, their music is an eclectic mix of gypsy, jazz, and swing music with some Latin and North African rhythms included, all of which, when added together, transports you to a French cabaret. 

Belle was charming and amusing between songs, asking the women in the audience, in her thick French accent, if there were any Prince Charming's in the room after telling the story of how Sleeping Beauty puts potentially harmful ideas into the heads of young girls.  Everyone had a good laugh.  The other band members also contribute to the writing and consist of David Lewis on horns and piano, Mano Razanajato on bass and backup vocals, Potzi on guitars and Francois Jeannin on drums (I only know this because I have one of their CD's). This was a fantastic set.

Next, I worked my way upstairs to the Anspacher Theater to see Juana Molina from Argentina. She's a highly regarded, up and coming artist who lays down electronic loops on a keyboard and then plays acoustic guitar and sings original tunes.  I don't think I can give a fair account of her performance because, with all the exotic instruments, percussion and backup singers in the house, I just wasn't in the frame of mind for something this subtle.

After two songs I worked my way up one more flight of stairs, to Martinson Hall, where Mory Kante from Guinea was finishing his set.  As I climbed the stairs I began to hear the glorious voices and percussion and quickened my pace to submerge myself into the sound.  I entered the room and 15 seconds later the set was over. I was very disappointed, but that's show biz.  According to the program, Mory is a singer, who plays kora and balafon and had global success with his dance hit Yeke Yeke in 1987. Maybe another time.

After a short setup, out came Rokia Traore with her band. The moment they began to play, I thought "here we go".  I live for moments like this. With two percussionists, two traditional African 3-stringed instruments (n'goni), a wooden xylophone (balafon), an unbelievable guitarist who sometimes played bass, and a backup singer who looked like Janet Jackson,  Rokia started singing and I went right into a trance. When she wasn't singing, or playing acoustic guitar, she and her backup singer were doing choreographed movements, which were beautiful (Sometimes the guitarist joined them). The whole thing was thrilling. Time Out London called her "Arguably the most exciting, most thrilling live African music show around"  and the Star Ledger's Jay Lustig, reviewing this show, said her singing "conveyed warmth and serenity at times and explosive joy at others." Pretty good description. (that's why he gets paid)

Next on the agenda was another trip downstairs to Anspacher Theater for the last half of Eva Ayllon's set. Eva is maybe the best known singer in Peru and has been compared to Celia Cruz and Cesaria Evora. I think the comparisons are justified. She's a great singer and does lots of sexy dancing while she performs. With two backup singers, bass, lots of percussion and a keyboard player it was difficult to remain in our seats. This was yet another performer who I would gladly see again.

And, as if all of this wasn't enough, the last set of the night was from one of my favorite bands from this past year.  Ollabelle, who you're familiar with if you've been following my adventures, play American roots music mixing traditional blues, gospel, bluegrass and country tunes with some original material.  Before the set, I had a brief conversation with keyboardist Glenn Patscha who was so pleased that American roots music was included in a World Music festival. We both agreed that America was part of the world, although just barely. I also spoke with singer Fiona McBain who told me the band is going into the studio in a few months to work on their next CD.

Some groups I was unable to see were the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Warsaw Village Band and The Yoshida Brothers among others. I wonder if anyone has considered making this a two day festival?