Taking African music to the village
Sarah Lee previews Kanda Bongo Man’s performance on 24 November in the village of Graffham, West Sussex.
It really will be Africa on your Street on 24 November 2007 in the tiny village of Graffham in West Sussex. Boasting only 400 residents, two pubs and one shop, the village will be playing host to one of the giants of African music, the undisputed king of Congolese Soukous, Kanda Bongo Man. Kanda Bongo Man is widely acknowledged as the man who revolutionized soukous music by encouraging guitar solos after every verse and even sometimes at the beginning of the song. His form of soukous gave birth to the kwassa kwassa dance rhythm where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. Support will be given by Brighton-based Tanzanian guitar band Sakama, with DJ Touray Touray playing African music before and after the live acts.
The show will take place in the village hall in Graffham. African music in village halls is part of the regular programming of Roots around the World, a Sussex-based music agency which regularly puts on world music on in rural settings. Director Mark Ringwood believes that African music should be available on everyone’s doorstep (or street?) as he explains: “Too often people have to travel to cities and large scale venues to see African music. African bands and artists are usually associated with towns and urban settings. We believe that people in rural areas often miss out because of this and have their options limited – and that’s where we try and come in. Roots around the World aims to bring world music to all people. We programme all sorts of world, folk and acoustic music but we like to put African artists on at Graffham because the village hall there really suits them. It’s a lovely warm space, with great acoustics and it works beautifully for African music.”
Roots around the World has to date programmed a number of African musical greats at Graffham village hall, including Sam Mangwana, Papa Noel and Mose Fan Fan's Somo Somo. However, this latest gig represents a new departure since Mark and team are teaming up Brighton-based African music promoters African Night Fever and BBC Southern Counties Radio to offer a more local inflection to the night. Apart from great music the night will also offer the audience the chance to enjoy some authentic African cooking.
Posters are all over Graffham and there is a buzz in the pub about the latest African music gig to hit the village. Mark explains: “It’s really rewarding when you know you’re bringing fantastic African music to a whole new audience. I’ve had people coming up to me in the street in Graffham and shaking my hand telling me how much they enjoyed their first experience of African music the night before! We also have loads of people traveling from Croydon, Chichester and London all the way down to Graffham for our nights because they prefer to see the bands at the village hall here. It gives the village a real sense of pride to see their village hall being used like this and attracting all these people to their tiny little village. It’s a really rewarding experience.”
African Night Fever will be taking place at The Empire Hall, Graffham, West Sussex GU28 0PY on Saturday, 24 November 2007. Doors 6.30pm and the show starts at 7pm. Tickets are £12.50.