Yve Ngoo
June 2007 - Papa Noel, Daby Balde and more
Summer Music
Tropical rainfall, thunderstorms, flooding ... it must be summer in the north of England!!! But don’t let the unseasonal weather dampen your spirits– there’s a feast of African music on your street to brighten up even the darkest skies:
Mory Kante on Tyne
Mory Kante is truly legendary: he is the first African artist to sell over a million singles with his hit Yéké Yéké. On Saturday, 14 July 2007, he headlines one of the biggest musical events of the summer as Tynemouth Priory and Castle hosts another world-class music concert. The Priory and Castle is a truly unique venue with an amazing atmosphere. The view out to sea is spectacular and the surroundings are breathtaking. As part of the Mouth of the Tyne Festival, this amazing open-air concert will see Mory Kante perform along with the Alex Wilson Salsa Orchestra and double Grammy nominated Boys of the Lough. Tickets are on sale now and expected to sell quickly due to the unique nature of the event. Tickets cost £20 (£18 concs) and are available from the Sage Gateshead (ox office 0191 443 4661 or www.thesagegateshead.org ).
Bana Congo presents Papa Noel
Once again, thanks to the passion and insight of Sue Hurrell and her creative team at the Caedmon Gateshead, we have the opportunity to enjoy a night of exceptional Afro-Cuban sounds as Congolese musical fusionist Papa Noel, swings by as part of his UK tour. Papa Noel is one of the greats of African music, a guitarist of exceptional talent, with a career that stretches back forty years. An acclaimed collaboration with the Cuban masters gave birth to the Bana Congo Cross-Border project, nominated for both the MOBO and the BBC Radio 3 Planet Awards.
Papa Noel and Bana Congo will be promoting the new album 'Café Noir' which was recorded in Havana, Paris, London and the Congo. The rhythms of Café Noir are an eclectic mix of rumba, son, merengue zoukous and soukous son. Prepare for some high-octane dance and celebrations as Papa Noel takes you on a musical trip that spans two great continents - linking the essential sounds of the African Diaspora!
Catch Papa and guests on Friday, 29 June, at the Arc, Stockton; £10/£8/£6. Tel 01642 525199 or on Friday, 6 July, at the Caedmon Hall, Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead. (tickets: £8/£6, box office: 0191 433 8420).
NEEACA African Cultural Day
NEEACA, the North East of England African Community Association, invites you to their annual African Cultural Day which celebrates the achievements of this great nation and enables you to learn something new about Africa.
NEEACA African Cultural Day is broken into two different sections with daytime and evening events. Between 1pm - 4.30pm the event is free, with an afternoon of events perfect for all the family, intended to give people a real taste of African culture where you can sample African arts and crafts and traditional Djembe drumming, music, dancing and singing with a special performance by CRUNK - Newcastle. There will also be an Afro hair care display and craft stalls. Tony Suadwa, Chair of NEEACA, will welcome guests and gain a spiritual blessing for the event by performing the customary Libation ceremony.
The evening event kicks off at 7pm, and NEEACA have pulled out all of the stops to make the evening performance one of the best line-ups the African Cultural Day has ever enjoyed. People will be thrilled by the stunning drumming, singing and dance displays by the wonderful energetic African dance-theatre Frititi, this can only be topped by an extra special set from the equally energetic and enigmatic, Mr Soukous himself, Kanda Bongo Man. There will also be beautiful homemade African dishes served up between 9pm-10pm.
NEEACA, African Cultural Day takes place on Saturday, 30 June 2007, at the Banqueting Suite, Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RD (near the Haymarket metro station). Tickets for the evening event are £10 (adults) and £3 (under 16s) - price includes food. Contact NEEACA on 0191 265 1155 or 07960 672955.
Daby Balde at The Rifle Club
In preparation for Musicport 2007, Jim Mclaughlin and his team presents Daby Balade, the new star of Senegalese music, and his seven-piece band.
Daby Balde is one of Senegal’s best-kept musical secrets. His musical arrangements are based on the Fula traditions from the south, and feature the fiddle and accordion, alongside the kora, acoustic guitar, and percussion. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, captivating vocals, and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, Daby’s star is now rising in the west. His debut international album ‘Introducing Daby Balde’ has received great reviews and set him in the footsteps of Youssou N’Dour, Baba Maal, et al. ‘Introducing Daby Balde’ has received rave reviews from some of ‘ the not that easy to impress’ music critics. Riding the new wave of melodic folksy African music – Daby has been compared to Van Morrison!!! Can’t see it? Well, get along to the gig and prepare to be swept away with his haunting melodies and sonorous voice. Daby plays The Rifle Club, Whitby on Friday, 29 June 2007. Tickets £10 in advance from 01947 603475 or log on to www.whitbymusicport.com .
Essential reminder: Musicport ticket sales are way ahead of previous years, so an early sell-out is predicted. With a line up including Rachid Taha, Courtney Pine, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Kekele, Black Voices, Nuru Kane & Bayefall Gnawa, Muntu Valdo, Doreen Thobekile, Neuneneu to name but a few...you’d be bonkers to miss out on this autumn highlight.
Other northern music events to add to your diary include the Middlesbrough Mela on Sunday, 15 July 2007, and Brampton Festival , Carlisle on Saturday, 21 July 2007, where you can catch the eclectically divine cosmic rebels Transglobal Underground, as part of their UK tour promoting their acclaimed new CD ‘Moonshout’, featuring a host of world music mavericks and guest vocals such as Doreen Thobekile, Burama Badji and Tuup. On Thursday, 28 June, Black Umfolosi, the world famous acapella song and dance group from Zimbabwe play Alnwick Playhouse 01665 510785, and on Saturday, 7 July, at Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham. 01434 652477. Or how about checking out Batanai Marimba? Fronted by the exuberance and charismatic Wedzerai Zvirevo, and featuring a pan-African line-up mixing traditional Southern African marimbas and percussion with alto sax, mbiras, bass and soaring vocal harmonies they will be performing at the Gala Theatre, Durham City on Sunday, 8 July (Tel 0191 332 4041.)
I suspect that’s enough to keep you going till next time? Meanwhile check out my CD choices to keep you in the groove: ‘4-Track Recording Sessions’, a collection of tracks by quintessential Zimbabwean band The Green Arrows, ‘Cafe Noir’ by veteran of Congolese artist Papa Noel and ‘Stereo Spirit’, the second solo album Daby Touré.
Next edition will feature news about an outstanding event Sugar & Spice, a festival of music and words exploring and celebrating the Abolition of Slavery.
Until then,
Yve
Yve Ngoo's Recommended CDs
The Green Arrows - 4-Track Recording Sessions
Papa Noel - Cafe Noir
Daby Toure - Stereo Spirit
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.