Date: July 25, 2012
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (NY)
Review by Eulas Pizarro
Melvin Gibbs Elevated Entity at Le Poisson Rouge was nothing short of amazing. As I got there a few minutes late and entered the room the band was already laying down a seething web of polyrhythms and tangled vocal call and responses enveloping the audience.
Artist: Elikeh
Titel: 2 Worlds
Label: Azalea City Recordings
Genre: Afro Beat or “taking Fela Kuti and mixing him with Bob Marley. Put in a pot and stir for three minutes and add some Osibisa and Togolese traditional music to it and let it all boil for two more minutes,” Dogo laughs. “Then you add a sprinkle of rock and you have Elikeh. ” (by Massama Dogo)
Release date: August 23, 2012
Elikeh mixes Afro-beat with traditional Togolese polyrhythms to produce captivating tunes that are as listenable as they are danceable. Although based in indigenous traditions, Elikeh’s music has no borders, exploring global themes and personal odysseys.
The eight-member group knows how to get the fire burning. They channel that energy into funkified pop anthems and thoughtful critiques of corruption, ignorance, and cultural neglect. Now on Between 2 Worlds the group digs deep into the African vintage pop inspiration, the reggae vibes, and the current craze for African-inflected funk and blues on an album that easily straddles two continents.
Date: July 29, 2012
Venue: Damrosh Park Bandshell/Lincoln Center
Review by Jim Hoey
For the fourth year in a row a hardworking Turkish group of promoters and musicians have succeeded in bringing the sounds of their country right here to NYC where a large group of Turkish emigres are eager to hear music from home, and locals can hear something exotic and new. In past years, it’s happened at Central Park SummerStage, but this year they moved it to Lincoln Center’s 62nd street bandshell space. Despite a raging thunderstorm just hours before the start time, with bolts of lightning ripping through the darkened skies, the 3 groups on the bill from Turkey were able to take the stage after the storm died down when it was safe for the musicians to play.
Date: Saturday, July ,21, 2012
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (NY)
Concert review by Chris Arnold
Thanks to the Le Poisson Rouge we were treated to 21 non-stop, infectious songs by Madagascar’s top stars and showcasing distinct musical traditions not found anywhere else. For fans of guitar music it was an extra special treat with 3 very different styles on display.
Guitar virtuoso Charles Kely kicked of the concert with 4 songs of mesmerizing fretwork on a classical guitar that would put most jazz guitarists to shame. Without bending any notes and playing without a pick, Kely created a sound that perfectly blends traditional and modern. Built on his regional ba gasy music with jazzy phrasing up and down the neck and classical guitar finger picking mixed in, Kely synthesizes rhythm, melody and harmony taking an African approach to the guitar to a master’s level. His musicianship and unique musical voice make Western “world music” critics’ discussions of authenticity irrelevant
Date: July 22, 2012
Venue: house concert in the Upper West Side
Next show: August 1, at 8pm. Details here.
Review by Dawoud Kringle and photos by Marcus Simpson
Indian classical music is based essentially on vocal music. It is a widely held belief among the genre’s masters that without an understanding of vocal music, one cannot ever properly perform a raga. Arabic music, African, and some jazz (such as Dexter Gordon, who refused to play a song unless he knew the lyrics) all hold this to be true. So, when one is listening to a raga sung by a master, one is assured one is getting the real thing.
