Saturday, July 10th, 2010
World Music: A Saturday Feast!
by Madanmohan Rao
World Music Editor & DJ
Day Two of the 13th Rainforest World Music Festival was blessed with magnificent clear weather, perfect for a terrific lineup of bands for evening performances and afternoon workshops.
At the morning press briefing, the bands shared their experiences at the festival in the course of the week; all appreciated the fantastic venue (cultural village in the midst of hill + forest + lake + sea), and the chance to stay in the same hotel as all the other musicians: perfect for jams throughout the night! Some were not happy with having travelled for hours/days to get to the festival and then play for only 45-minute sets, but it seems they will have to live with the format of the festival.
Some of the bands also shared the controversial experiences they went through around the world because of their music: the Indonesia-based Sufi music band Debu had their concerts in Iran cancelled, and Portuguese band Galandum Galundaina said they sometimes got into trouble for some of their songs which poke fun at Catholic priests!
The evening performances were outstanding, and the magic again was in the afternoon jam sessions. With three workshops in parallel in three time slots, it is always tough to choose just one to attend! I was delighted again with my choice: Electro Groove, Frame Drums, and Male Voices.
Ramón Perez Prieto and Grimaldo del Solar showcased a fine electro-DJ set with live cajon jams, joined by guitarists from Leila Negrau, Bakih and Watussi. Percussionists from Bangalore’s Layatharanga, led by Giridhar Udupa, wowed the audience in the frame drum workshop, demonstrating the incredible range of sound capable from the humble kanjira.
The Russian dance workshop was a huge hit, with the audience forming concentric circles for group and couple dancing, led by Reelroad’b. Pascal Seixas of France’s Minuit Guibolles anchored a superb vocal jam, featuring stunning songs by Ahemaitihan Yeerboli (a Kazakh minority in China), and members of the Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan.
The Shanbehzadeh Trio opened the evening segment with a terrific showcase of south Iranian celebratory wedding music on bagpipes, animal horns and a range of percussion instruments. The charismatic leader Saeid and his 17-year old son Naghib drew several rounds of applause for their artistry and adrenaline.
The Kimura-Ono Duo from northern Japan, featuring Shunsuke Kimura and Etsuro Ono, rendered a range of traditional Japanese folk melodies. The energy then ramped up with the French band Minit Guibolles, who mixed bagpipes, steel drums, saxophone, accordion and scorching electric and acoustic bass.
The texture changed again with the all-woman Czech quartet Bragaas, on vocals, bagpipe, and darbuka. Their sound blended flavours of Balkan, Roma, Andalucian, Sephardic, Galician, Scandinavian, and Medieval songs.
The most outstanding band of the evening was led by Leilah Negrau from the French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Her soaring vocals, energetic dances and powerful drumming, backed by a tight bass-drums-guitar lineup, enthralled the audience with a range of African rhythms and melodies.
Newcastle-based Monster Ceilidh kept the vibes going with quirky arrangements of folk music, and the evening ended on a percussive climactic note with Farafina from Burkino Faso. Their music interweaved complex high-energy rhythms with the melodic lines of balafons.
I was delighted to find one more member of the audience with a vuvuzela, and we cheered on each band energetically! Day Three has a terrific lineup as well, stay tuned for my next blogpost!