Baaba Maal @ the Waterfront
A very special night of live music indeed.
In amongst the tide of what could be perceived to be a ‘normal’ gig, every once in a while something truly special occurs and this night of live music was just such an occasion. An evening featuring African musicians that would normally be the preserve of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival or the Arts Centre came to that most ‘normal’ of venues, the Waterfront.
The support was a solo Blick Bassy, armed for the most part with only his banjo or occasional guitar. This Cameroonian musician, now living in France, had me from his first song. A gentle, yet powerful falsetto voice over the top of his strummed banjo made for a captivating thirty minutes. He spoke of being influenced by Delta Blues musician Skip James and the importance of singing in the Bassa language in a bid to keep that language alive. He exuded a quiet confidence and appreciation of the reception he received. His Ako album is a low key treat and I’m pleased to see he’s appearing at this year’s WOMAD festival – he certainly deserves to find an audience in this country.
Baaba Maal is Senegal’s most famous musician, a superstar in his homeland and one of the disappointingly few ‘world music’ artists to cross over. He was skilfully backed by five superb musicians, including two percussionists and a drummer, and accompanied on vocals by his long term musical partner, the blind Griot Mansour Seck. From a quiet, but commanding opening the crowd seemed stunned by the sheer power and beauty of Baaba’s voice. Singing in the Pulaar language meant the meaning of his songs may have been a mystery to me but I am certain they are about something a lot deeper than ‘boy meets girl’. The music felt important, almost reverential, and there was certainly a deep spirituality at play. I found the music incredibly moving at times, filled with real warmth and it gave me the sense that my heart and soul were being nourished. It made me feel like I want to try and be a better person. That’s not to say the night was a serious affair – Baaba may have been quite intense but his band were having fun and Mansour’s enthusiasm was infectious, getting the crowd to clap along and loudly applaud his dancing. From a sitting start, the chairs were soon dispensed with as the music became more up-tempo and the final song locked into a groove that I could have ridden for…years perhaps. Utilising the age old tradition of repetition it was very easy to get lost in the music. We were even treated to an appearance from Blick Bassy who came back to show just what he can do with a full band backing him.
The set lasted for almost two hours, but I could have easily handled more. I feel incredibly lucky to have witnessed such a talent, especially given the fact that the following night he was playing the Royal Festival Hall, the kind of exalted venue he is far more used to playing. A very special night of live music indeed.
@StuPres
