Bakary Cafe

Now… don’t you go and think that I’m so keen on my 2012 resolutions that I’ve already gone out there and done loads. A friend of mine mentioned this gig to me way before 1 January!

This was my second venture to The Slaughtered Lamb and I’m beginning to think that it doesn’t matter when you go or what’s on, you’ll have a great time. Although having said that, the event was, once again, promoted by Pull Up The Roots… so may be that’s the winning combination.

I had made a point of listening to a few tracks before getting the tickets… but that was a long time ago and I couldn’t remember much about it. By the time Jonny and Lucy took to the stage, I didn’t really know what to expect.

Endearing. Funny. Sweet and melancholic. Lullabies with a slight dark undertone. Amiable. Cruel.

Great evening. The wine was decent and reasonably priced. The food tasty. The Slaughtered Lamb is a kind of busy but comfy and friendly pub. You don’t quite feel at home there… but almost.

My second Caitlin Rose gig in that many months. And another great performance by the rising star.

I got the feeling on Thursday night that Caitlin wasn’t just performing; she felt her songs and shared them with us (engaging in a sing along to Answer in one of these bottles even). A great night… with a pretty good bill which saw supporting acts from Ryan O’Reilly and Gerard Starkie.

I guess I’d forgotten what it was like to see an artist in a small intimate venue. The greatness of the sound. The feeling that you are wanted there, that you’re not just one of the numbers. The atmosphere.

It’s already getting harder to get tickets to see Caitlin… but I hope she’ll continue to play in small venues for years to come, even knowing that I won’t always be able to get tickets. Caitlin Rose at The Windmill was as perfect as a gig can be.

If (for some odd reasons) you did not know the work of Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate’s enthusiasm and awe for his music would have you rushing to the nearest music shop (or the internet). And rightly so.

Ali and Toumani is a terrific album; the result of a great collaboration of two fantastic artists… Unfortunately, the magic of the album did not quite materialise on Wednesday evening, leaving us to feel even more the loss of Ali Farka Toure.

That’s not to say that the evening wasn’t a success. I’m always amazed by how Toumani Diabate manages to make playing Kora look so easy to play! His solos captivated the audience. His music poetically flooding the Barbican. A true master always in complete control of his instrument; living his music.

I was meant to see Lyle Lovett a little while ago but the gig was cancelled. I’ve been listening to a lot of country music recently so the timing of this concert was spot on (although Lovett covers many more genres than country ranging from country and folk to jazz and pop).It’s just as well that it was a show to listen to and that there were no visuals.

I have never, truly, been to a show where I was surrounded by so many giants (and I’m not small!). So when Lovett and Hiatt took it in turn to sing a song, the other one joining in, I made a point of reaching up just to see their faces before settling to staring at the jacket of the guy in front of me.

This didn’t matter too much, although I’ll now think twice about whether I want a standing or a seating ticket according to gig.

There was a lot of chit-chat between Lovett and Hiatt between songs, which gave the gig a very informal feel. These two guys could have been having a chat and playing a few songs on their porch, not in front of a very demanding audience: “play this song”; “stop chatting and get on with it”. Missing the point I felt. And then some guy asked a direct personal question, which was rightly averted.

True, it wasn’t one of those gigs where you were singing and dancing… but the quality of Lyle Lovett’s lyrics and his voice, combined with Hiatt’s music made it a winner.

The Kora is an amazing instrument: it’s lovely to look at; it’s intricate to play (with 21 strings) and it produces a whole range of sounds. It’s iconic.

It did pain me to leave the sunshine for this 3pm gig… but I soon got over that. The Kora trio played to a small audience, in the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre).

We are told that N’Faly Kouyate, Ba Cissoko and Prince Diabate are childhood friends. They each play the Kora in their own way, creating their own distinctive sound. You could close your eyes and you would know which player was playing. (In the same way that you can instantly identify Toumani Diabate when he plays).

The music was poetic. The songs were beautiful.

Looking at them playing, you would think that the Kora is an easy instrument to play. They are astounding musicians and very talented.

Ba Cissoko, looking very solemn, produced a very professional performance. Prince Diabate was more flamboyant and modern. N’Faly Kouyate more traditional.  Their differences were apparent during the whole performance, but particularly evident from the solo piece they each performed. Their outfits also perfectly reflected their personalities.

With the last song, Ba Cissoko decided to have us standing, singing and clapping… ‘to create an atmosphere’.

We were told this was the trio’s first performance in fifteen years, ‘but hopefully not the last’, said N’Faly Kouyate (who then asked cheekily whether we thought it should be the last, giving us another one of his hugely infectious smiles). No… we want more.

I’m not a fan of Wilco but there was a spare ticket going and I’d never been to the Troxy. According to the posters on the Tube, the American alternative rock band is the band of the moment. Tick. I’ve seen them.

It was Jeff Tweedy’s birthday (the singer) and he was in  a jolly mood. Made us sing ‘We Are The Champions’! Oh well… as long as he had fun.

I didn’t go for the experimental futuristic sound. In fact, I liked about five songs in total… but it was not a wasted evening!

Look at these:

What a lovely venue! I spoke to (a very friendly) security guy who told me that the building was originally a bingo hall and then a cinema. I love the way the art deco theme runs through the whole decor, down to matching the lights and the carpet!

Yes, I did catch up with Muntu Valdo at the Barbican (free) Jazz festival event, as promised. And I’m glad I did. He was excellent!

The set lasted approx. 30 mins.He played Leta, which is fast becoming my favourite track. (I’ve linked to an old live recording to get you to experience as close to the real thing as possible; Leta is the second song).

The stage was in the foyer and a few people had gathered early. By the time I got there, about 40 people were mingling and waiting patiently. By the end of the set, about 300 people were watching. Yes, some of these people were there for the event gig but although they may have intended to just see what was going on, they stayed till the end and let me tell you… Muntu got a great ovation at the end (which he fully deserved). About three people came to ask me who he was. The man is making friends!

I’m not sure what he had expected but he sounded genuinely surprised that so many people were there for him, watching him. Yes, he may have played to bigger audiences but never that close and personal. It was brilliant!

 Muntu Valdo rocks.

Who says that you can’t get anything for free these days… New Orleans came to the O2 for an amazing two days of music and street parades. And it was all free!

I got there as the Rebirth Brass Band made its way down Bourbon Street. There was a real parade feel to it with traffic coming to a standstill. An New Orleans institution… ‘from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world. Rebirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show.’ (source: MySpace). They were fun.

I caught up with them at the Louisiana Pavilion where they were joined on stage by Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. All very jolly and brassy! People joining in, dancing and singing.

Marcia Ball was on stage at indigO2. An American Blues singer and pianist, born in Texas but she actually grew up in Louisiana. She was brilliant. The crowd really went for it and it looked like she was having fun too. By the time she sang I’m Coming Down With the Blues, you could close your eyes and think that you were in a club in New Orleans. She has the perfect Bluesy voice.

Back at the Louisiana Pavilion, Allen Toussaint was wooing the crowd. One of the most influential figures in New Orleans’s R&B scene, Toussaint needs no introduction. A legend. I stayed for a couple of songs. It was a great performance but it felt a bit more polished than the other bands I had seen so far and I just wanted to keep that festival feeling…

 What a great way to spend a couple of hours… Vibrant music and great characters… all for free! Great fun.

What a line up! Amadou & Mariam, Sola Akingbolá, Daara J Family, Baaba Maal, Souad Massi, Oumou Sangare, Rachid Taha, Bassekou Kouyaté, Toumani Diabaté…

It kicked off with Sola Akingbolá (Jamiroquai percussionist). Okay, it did need something noisy to start off the evening and he did his very best to get the crowd going. Not quite my cup of tea however and considering how many artists were lined up for the evening, I feel that he was on stage for a long time. He made way for Muntu Valdo who sang, sadly, only a couple of songs… so poetic, so captivating… (there’s a great biography of Muntu Valdo on MySpace as well as a few live clips). I was holding my breath… and I don’t think I was the only one. And if you’re not busy on 16 November, I urge you to make your way to the Barbican’s London Jazz Festival Free stage at 18:00 as it looks like Muntu Valdo will be making an appearance. I’ll be there!

Daara J Family literally bounced on stage and got the crowd singing, dancing and… bouncing! The Senegalese Hip Hop band really brought a smile to my face, they have so much energy and they’re just such fun. I can’t say that I’m into rap but that’s the second time I’ve seen them now and they have a lot to say!

Amadou and Mariam were the last band to come on before the interval. I was so looking forward to them but I can’t quite put my finger on it; it just didn’t work for me. Quite tame. Damon Albarn joined Mariam for a song. Maybe it was the sound; I don’t know… slightly disappointing anyway.

I had to leave then, due to personal reasons.

My feelings up to that point were mixed and from a few people I caught up with a few days after the show, I don’t think I’m the only one thinking this. It seems that the show was thrown together a bit and may be the artists didn’t have time to rehearse properly. Still… the line up was fantastic and we want more events like this!

I was really looking forward to this. There is a lot of ‘World Music’ about these days but I feel that Bassekou Kouyate still has a freshness about him that is hard to ignore. I was bowled over by Segu Blue when it came out. Bassekou Kouyate’s energy on stage was contagious and his joy was evident for all to see. mapsadaisical has a good review of the gig (with photos) so there’re no need for me to go into too much detail…

But Tartit won me over. I’d never heard of them; I hadn’t even paid any attention to the fact that they were part of the gig!

It’s easy to liken their music and style to that of Tinariwen. Tartit are also a Tuareg group from Mali. But there’s something about Tartit which is raw in the sense that they’re not yet the ‘cool’ band to see. They are being discovered now and their sound is still very much theirs. Pure.

Their outfits were stunning and hinted at the mystery that the Tuareg are. And when they introduced themselves as a Tuareg band from the Timbuktu region, I was entranced.

The songs were punctuated by what seemed like impromptu dancing and clapping… and you felt transported, almost, to the desert, with Tartit sitting in a semi-circle, as if around the fire, passing the evening.  This feeling was reinforced when one of the women said that it can be harsh living in the desert; there is little water; no educational facilities and no health posts… but it is their home and they love it…

Tihar Bayatin, the camel song, was fun. Fitting also that Tartit should have a song to celebrate camels; the Tuareg being so dependant on them. The guttural sounds and the dancing did lift the audience. You can listen to the track for free on Last.fm.

In the Barbican pamphlet, one of the female member of the band says: ‘Among the Tuareg, everybody makes music. In the camps, all the children and young people would gather together between the tents, singing and dancing‘.

What a discovery!