Rita Ray
March 2004 - The Festival in the Desert
Hello again! I was so busy in my last column telling you about my adventures with Stella Chiwese that I forgot to tell you about my wonderful trip to Mali, to the Sahara Desert actually, to see a gloriously unique music event called The Festival In The Desert.
- The Festival in the Sahara Desert, Mali
- Other Festivals and Documentaries
- Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
The Festival in the Sahara Desert, Mali
You may have seen the documentary on BBC4 - don't worry if you didn't because it is going to be shown again sometime soon. Some huge names took part: Oumou Sangare, Habib Koite, Ali Farke Toure, Amadou and Miriam and the list goes on...
Lesser known but the undoubted stars of the festival, were a Malian Touareg guitar band called Tinariwen who play gritty rhythmic desert blues known simply as 'Guitar'. The music they play is based around the undulating gait of the camel, which I guess explains how they can be both laid back and rocking at the same time! When we heard that Tinariwen were coming to the UK we jumped at the chance to have them on at our club The Shrine. Seeing them on a cold Tuesday night in March, in the East End of London, on stage in their magnificent robes and turbans and listening to the songs from their excellent new release Amassakoul was a thrill and transported me straight back to the Sahara. You don't want to miss this outfit and luckily Tinariwen will be back in London on June 5th as part of the Barbican's The World Got The Blues Festival.
This festival is well worth checking out what with free stages, films and wonderful artists lined up. I know I'll be there on the 29th of May to see Cesaria Evora - the bare foot diva, queen of Morna, that’s Cape Verdean Blues to you and me. Supporting Cesaria on the night is Kassy Mady Diabate - one of Mali's most loved griots. Kassy Mady was nominated in the Africa section of last year's Radio 3 Awards For World Music and he has a superb voice - on par with Salif Keita - he just isn't as well-known. The best thing about this night for me is that the whole thing will be broadcast live from the Barbican on Charlie Gillet's show on BBC Radio London 94.9, so if you live in the capital there’s no excuse to miss out.
Other Festivals and Documentaries
There is plenty going on before then though, and you might want to check out the French Music Bureau's Mosaiques Festival. I spoke to Marie Agnes Beau from the bureau to find out what was going on and this is what she said: ‘Beyond the numerous cultures that have influenced contemporary France, some of whom will appear in the Mosaïques festival, I believe that the musical tradition of Africa has been one of the most influential. Therefore I strongly recommend the 24th of April to see, feel, understand and hear the various aspects of one great musical country, Mali.’
‘We are glad to show a few impressive documentaries that will take you to the heart of these people and get you to understand why music is not only entertainment, but that it has social, political and economical relevance. We will be discussing new markets for these so-called "world cultures" with our experts from world music and world cinema. Finally, come and breathe the peace and joy of kora and kamale n'goni maestro Idrissa Soumaoro's beautiful songs, live, and it's a FREE gig. Then party with Senegal's DJ Dudu Sarr in a post-modern souk.’ Information will be available on www.institut-francais.org.uk by the beginning of April.
Then, from May the 8th to the 29th, African producers Joyful Noise will be hosting the London African Festival at the South Bank Centre. The programming for this festival is really imaginative and takes a broad look at what's happening in African music - from the Salsa of Africando to the wild Fuji of King Wasiu Ayende. During April and May we’ll be offering competitions for free tickets to these events, so check back here.
One of the acts I'm looking forward to seeing is The Addis Ababa Syndicate featuring Nesra Awal. Nesra is a master drummer and a specialist of the Ethiopian drum, if his name sounds familiar it is because he a member of the highly rated Master Drummers of Africa. He formed The Addis Ababa Syndicate 5 years ago and the music he features is a mix of traditional and modern Ethiopia, incorporating the music of the different ethnic cultures of Ethiopia.
That's about it for now - if you can't wait for any of the above check out the teenagers of Ballet Inganzo from Rwanda, a living testament to the power of reconcilliation. They are a drumming dancing and chanting sensation and they will be on at the Shrine on the 27th of March. Don't forget to come and say hello if you make it to any of these events, or post your comments .
Cheers,
Rita
Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Voices of Southern Africa - Insingizi
Brenda Fassie - The Remix Collection
Check out my recommended CDs this month in the CD Reviews section or go to Music Search to look at our archive of recommended CDs.