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Chicago Reader, Concert Preview >>
GANGBE BRASS BAND
The Gangbe Brass Band seems intent on proving that
Benin is the New Orleans of West Africa. Their third album, Whendo (World Village), certainly recalls the joyful noise of veteran Crescent
City acts like the Rebirth and Dirty Dozen brass bands, but there's
also a fleet harmonic sophistication that mirrors the elegant
arrangements of Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy. "Remember Fela" pays
homage to the Afrobeat pioneer, with euphonium player James Vodounnon
providing the circling bass lines, but the real Nigerian influence is
in the rolling, rhythmic quality of juju, where beats float more than
they thwack. The songs also incorporate local voodoo chants and
rhythms, infectious call-and-response, velvety harmonies, and soulful
lead vocals sung in Fon, Ngou, Mina, Yoruba, Eve, and French. When they
played the World Music Festival back in 2002 the Gangbes had a hard
time standing still; I imagine a good chunk of this set will find them
dancing in the spaces between tables and chairs.
8:30 PM, HotHouse,
31 E. Balbo, 312-362-9707, $15.
--Peter Margasak
10/14/05 >> go there
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