April 19, 2010

iFest day two: wet, groovy; King Sunny Ade cancels

"Just once," said International Festival president Jim Austin yesterday, "I wish we could get four dates without rain. You wouldn't think that'd be too much to ask." At that point it was early afternoon and rain had soaked the downtown festival for more than an hour. And then it disappeared leaving behind blue skies and sunshine (at least for a while).

The big downside to the rain was a middling turnout for Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba, who created an hour-long hypnotic groove largely driven by Kouyate and three bandmates each playing a ngoni, a banjo-like instrument that appears to be made of wood or gourd with what was likely a deceased animal skin pulled over it. There was also some percussion and Kouyate's wife Ami Sacko sang. Kouyate, from Mali, repeatedly apologized for his English, but those gathered seemed to care not a whit.

By the time the Mighty Diamonds took the stage the sun was out and there was a generous crowd to greet one of reggae's great acts. After a short instrumental introduction Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson took the stage. Shaw took lead vocals, but the real magic occurs when the trio falls into its rocksteady harmonies. As a fan of their classic album Right Time, their run through Africa was a highlight for me. But for broader appeal the pop reggae staple Pass the Koutchie (or Dutchie) was had folks twisting the afternoon away on a day that seemed certain to be a washout.

Note:
Just got word that one of next week's iFest performers, the legendary King Sunny Ade, has cancelled his entire U.S. tour. Late last month two members of Ade's African Beats band were killed in a car accident.

From their press reps:

"On March 26th 2010 a tragic car accident took the lives of two members of the African Beats, talking drummer Gabriel Ayanniyi and percussionist Omo Olope, who were en-route to a video shoot for a forthcoming recording.

"When the US Embassy refused to grant visas to replacement members in a timely manner, there was confusion about the possible courses of action.At the same time, it became clear that the artist and the band had neither recovered from the impact of the tragedy, nor were they able to find consensus on how to move forward with normal touring."