Toubab Krewe's strong Malian flavor is peppered with tastes of Caribbean, Jamaican, and, as the band puts it, "dirty south" music. Most of the band members' roots are in Asheville, North Carolina, and their southern neighbors often confuse the harp-like ngoni and kora for a banjo. Yet, Toubab Krewe's Teal Brown, Drew Heller, Justin Perkins, David Pransky, and Luke Quaranta emanate the energetic spirit that is an essential element of the dance music in Africa. Toubab Krewe's name is, in fact, a stellar reflection of their multicultural musical interests. The word "toubab" means "white people" or "foreigners" in the Malinke and Bambara languages and is used in a non-derogatory way to refer to white people all over West Africa. The spelling of "Krewe" references New Orleans, which Brown says is "because New Orleans is the gateway through which so much music came to us--ragtime, blues, jazz. It's a reference to that portal."
The band has spent extensive time in West Africa studying and performing with musical legends such as Lamine Soumano, Vieux Kante, Madou Dembele, and Koungbanan Conde. Thus, their use of traditional instruments like the soku, kamel ngoni, and kora, is not only professional and informed, but inspired and natural, as well. The majority of the tracks on Toubab Krewe's debut album are versions of traditional African songs, but the presence of instruments such as the electric guitar and the electric bass in these songs confirm the originality of the Krewe's compositions. For pure percussion that will make your hips swivel, check out "Asheville to Abidjan," to conjure an image of a lazy morning spent under the sparkling African sun, listen to "Rooster," and for something surfer-inspired and non-traditional, catch "Hang Tan." Perkins' description of the band's music as "Afro-cowboy-ninja-surf music" reflects Toubab Krewe's deep respect for music from other cultures, and what a supreme mix it is!
View the videos, listen to the sound bites, and read the articles of this spirited band at
www.toubabkrewe.com.
Special thanks to intern, Danya Cheskis-Gold, for the text.
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