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.... Africa's Hottest Dance Band..
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Toronto Star, .... Africa's Hottest Dance Band.. >>
Bembeya Jazz one of Africa's hottest dance bands
GEOFF CHAPMAN, MUSIC CRITIC
Africa is front and centre this weekend at Harbourfront and the all-day Bana Y'Afrique festival on Sunday in Nathan Phillips Square.
Guinea's Bembeya Jazz, one of the continent's best bands, like Senegal's Orchestre Baobab and Mali's Super Rail Band, shows how great West African dance bands can preserve traditions yet simultaneously create a modern sound, with Afro-Cuban elements of the mid-19th century helping bridge heritage music and modern instrumentation.
Bembeya music sparkles, swings and makes any normal human want to dance, with its high-pitched singers, fiery horns, insistent guitars and, of course, a powerhouse rhythm section.
The band plays the main stage tomorrow, day one of Harbourfront's Hot and Spicy Festival.
There's a new self-titled album (on the World Village label), Bembeya's first in 14 years, that's a major landmark in Afro-pop history.
It highlights the signature, driving four-guitar section — listen to them crank it up on "Soli Au Wassoulou." The exceptional bandleader and lead guitarist Sekou Bembeya Diabaté (known as "diamond fingers") is in charge.
He even plays Hawaiian slide guitar.
Notable bandsmen are the three singers, especially high tenor Salifou Kabe and Doumbouya Alseny, who's particularly appealing on "Sabou," tenor saxist Dory Clement, trumpeter and musical director Mohamed Kasba and drummer Conde Mory Mangala.
These instrumentalists have been with the band from its 1961 birth in Beyla, the town through which runs the Bembeya River. Bembeya Jazz was named Guinea's national band in 1965.
Opening for Bembeya at 8 is Achilla Orru et Baana Afrique, who sings and plays lukembe (thumb piano). Other musical performers this weekend include vocalists Guiomar Campbell and Eliana Cuevas.
Fans of Cuban music should note there's a free showing of the barrier-breaking Wim Wenders 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club at 9 p.m. on the mainstage Saturday following a set from Son Aché.
BANA Y'AFRIQUE FESTIVAL
On Sunday there'll be eight acts in Nathan Phillips Square for the fourth annual Bana Y'Afrique Festival.
It's organized by Africa House of Music, it's free and runs from noon to 11 p.m. There will be plenty of food, crafts and clothing on hand.
Emcee is Ethiopia-born hip-hop rapper Helina Alemayehu Asfaw, who'll first introduce Feeling Brother Francis, a vocalist in the Ghanaian High-Life tradition, then Cameroon singer-guitarist Fojeba, many of whose songs were written when he was in exile in Holland.
He's followed by Macoumba Thiune and the African Traditional Music Band of Ontario. These three bands will perform again during the afternoon.
Also on the roster are Toronto-baseed guitarist-singer Adam Solomon and Tikisa, the band he formed in Kenya in 1995. This group has released two CDs that encompass a wide range of African rhythms, including makossa, mwanzele, sengenya, traditional chela, chakacha and mchechemeko.
At around 5:30 it's the turn of the popular Star Five, who'll pump out soukous and rumba rhythms.
The band includes drummer/dancer Patou Bokele, vocalists Joseph Nsukula (lead), Yoshi Lomanda, Eric Muya and Andy, guitarists Eric Bukasa, Kevin Kibonge and Paty Bukasa plus bassist Christian Mabanga.
Next up are Caribbean Folk Performers, an Afro-Caribbean performing arts company, then Culture Force led by Nigerian-born Femi Abosede who's lead singer and saxman in a group that features Dammy Atoki on keyboards.
Festival headliner is Congo's singer-guitarist Dibli Dibala,who's worked with a number of leading names in the soukous field but now heads the band Matchatcha that features Antoinette Yelessa and Otis Mbuta.
This band has released a dozen albums.
Info at http://banayafrica.tripod.com 08/21/03 >> go there
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