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Habib Koité and Bamada US Tour 2003: Conjoru! A Musical Windstorm Blowing Your Way
By "Boo" Lynn Walsh Afropop.org NYC Select Concerts and Events Habib Koité and Bamada kicked off their whirlwind U.S. 2003 tour on January 10th, in New York City by selling out their first three shows! The tour will continue to bring their energetic, original and heartfelt music to theatres, clubs and performing arts venues across North America through March 2. They are featuring a diverse assortment of songs from their three CD's, Muso Ko (Europe: Contre Jour, 1998. USA: Alula Records, 1999), Ma Ya (Europe: Contre Jour, 1999. USA: Putumayo, 1999), and Baro (Putumayo, 2001). The last two were on Putumayo World Music (http://www.putumayo.com), who also featured Habib on the compilation CD, "From Mali to Memphis." The performances of these manly, mud cloth wearing, gris-gris and techno gadget-sporting troubadorian Malians, build on a cylindrical West African jeli roots, creating ellipses of sound that expand the reach of this Mande-style music, intensifying the music's centrifugal force. Habib Koité and Bamada's creations are joyously haunting, pensively melancholy and rhythmically complex with sparkling eclectic instrumentation, and harmonious multi-lingual vocals, masterfully encompassing elements of contemporary music and seamlessly incorporating it into the ancient tradition. At Joe's Pub, a classy, cozy gem of a venue in Manhattan, Habib and his band Bamada sold out three nights in a row-- not an easy feat in a city where the competition for patrons on any given night is fierce. I was lucky enough to be able to attend two of those nights and witnessed even the most jaded Afrophiles spontaneously cheering in waves of excitement and clapping and drumming on the bar as Bamada launched into yet another jewel from the treasure chest of music fit for Royal Courts of Africa and beyond. New fans will be delighted to discover these stars, and already committed fans will be tantalized with a varied selection from their three CDs, and awestruck with the masterful, improvisation and spirited solos that add even more depth to the already exquisite songs. The band's virtuosos play everything from Dr. Seuss-like organic instruments made of hide, iron, gourd, wood, fishing line and a variety of percussives -- trap drums, harmonica, flute, two guitars, electric violin and bass. For the drummers out there… Mahamadou Kone is ball of fire, speed and versatility. He blew past the band on his solo and everyone stopped in wonderment as his little talking drum (no bigger than a piece of firewood) tore through stuttering, scale-ranging utterances like the devil was after him. Habib treated us to a jazzy, percussive verbal improvisation, and guitar/violin conversation with balaphone master Kélétigui Diabate, under the propulsive groove of traps drummer Souleymane Ann, bass and vocal man Abdoul Wahab Berthe. Boubacar Sidibe's simultaneous singing, guitar strumming AND harmonica kept the steamengine running on track, sweet and steady.
Take my word on this… catch them while you can and as many times as you can. Better grab your posse and get tickets early because word travels fast on a concert like this. People who attended all three nights remarked that the show had a different flavor each time and kept coming back for more. FYI: An inside source informed me that this will be the last tour for a while… Habib's retreating to the Sahara Desert to meditate and compose his next CD due in 2004 Insh'allah. All of us here at Afropop Worldwide wish Habib and the Bamada band members continued success and a safe and fruitful journey. Here's the tour schedule:
DATE VENUE LOCATION
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