MAWAZINE: ZAO & SUPER RAIL BAND DE BAMAKO

On Sunday night, once again, I was presented with a crucial choice of what concerts to attend – bear in mind that nine different venues have shows going on all at the same time.
I boiled my decision down to two stages: either I would head to the largest venue, the Bouregreg, to see Los Van Van (a very famous group from Cuba), or check out the smaller Hay Ryad scene to catch performances by groups from Congo and Mali. My good friend Amine recommended that I attend the concerts of the African musicians, as I will experience plenty of Cuban music this summer in Havana.

Just after nine o’clock, Zao, an Afrobeat band from Brazzaville, Congo, took the stage. The band consisted of a bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, trombonist, trumpeter, percussionist, drummer, two female vocalists and the singer (Zao). Within the first thirty seconds of the concert, I knew I would not regret my decision.

The band opened with an extra-funky jam, and then out came Zao, wearing perhaps the greatest hat ever made (see pictures below). I think the best way to describe Zao is that his body is not nearly big enough to fit his persona. Never before have I seen an individual with a stronger stage presence than Zao. By the truest definition of the word, Zao is animated; he is such a vivacious character that he is almost cartoon like – and I say that as a compliment. There is something magical about his ability to instantaneously connect with the audience through his music.

The dialogue Zao created with the audience was in French, Lingala (Congolese), Arabic, and a little English. Regardless of what language he was speaking, his message was always clear: often he sung of the necessity to end war as a means of diplomacy.

As for the music, it was the ultimate fusion: a handful of West African rhythms, a splash of reggae, a hint of jazz and a whole lot of funk! This mixture created for very complicated rhythms. The drummer was absolutely outstanding; definitely the best of the festival, to date.

The crowd adored Zao: the gratis-section was packed and people were dancing throughout the entire set. This concert was probably the most enjoyable show I have seen all year, and ranks as one of my all-time favorites. Of course, the short videos I will post are an unfair testimony to how great the music was: like most concerts, you simply had to be there to experience the greatness of the performance.

(Side note: I actually just bought one of his records of the iTunes store; and, as expected, it is not as exciting as the live show but is very good. Just make sure to purchase the album, “L’aiguille,” as, apparently, there is a heavy metal band also named Zao!)

Towards the end of the show, Zao introduced each of the band members, and in turn, each member soloed. Zao is a very humble band leader, indeed. As Zao’s set ended, I began to wonder how does (can?) the following act, Super Rail Band de Bamako, top this one? Quite honestly, I knew that it would be an impossible feat.

After a brief intermission, the Super Rail Band de Bamako, from Mali, took the stage. The band leader, who played the djembe, gave some background information on Mali (i.e. on the population and location). It was actually pretty cool that he would make the effort to teach the audience a little about where he comes from and tidbits about his culture. (Granted, Mali is very close to Morocco, so I am sure most of the audience knew most of the information; but, nonetheless, it was a neat gesture).

The band consisted of a djembe player, two male vocalists, a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, a bassist, a percussionist (who played congos) and a drummer. Because of the abundance of percussion, the beats were much heavier than that of Zao’s music. Interestingly enough, there were a lot of straight rhythms (as in, not broken feels), mostly in 16th note feels.

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the Super Rail Band de Bamako’s performance – but, of course, it was no Zao. This has been my favorite night of the Mawazine Festival, without a doubt! Pictures and videos are below. I would post more videos, but it takes about 90 minutes to upload every 45 second video...grrr!


ZAO!






























Best. Hat. Ever.
























Pure electricity on stage























































Super Rail Band de Bamako

MAWAZINE: GORAN BREGOVIC & TONY ALLEN

My singular complaint of the Mawazine Festival is that on many nights, there are too many concerts that I want to attend – I sheepishly admit that this is a good predicament to be in, though. Furthermore, many of the venues are spread throughout the city; so it can take a half an hour (not including traffic) to get from one scene to another. On Saturday night, for instance, there were three acts (at three different venues) that I really wanted to check out: Ziggy Marley, Goran Bregovic and Tony Allen.

Despite this dilemma, it should be highlighted that there is a major advantage of having so many venues in so many different locations: this format allows the general public to attend more shows. My friend Amine pointed out that many citizens of Rabat are not able to easily move around the city (due to expensive cab fares and other factors); so, by having venues in each section of the city, theoretically, there is always a stage nearby.

Anyways, on Saturday night, I ended up attending the Goran Bregovic concert at the Bouregreg with several friends, including Amine (who I am staying with) and most of the members of Hoba Hoba Spirit. Bregovic scores many films (yes, including “Borat”) and has over a dozen solo records. The concert itself constituted the strangest live-music experience of my life: Goran Bregovic’s music is the epitome of unique.

Born in Saravejo, Bosnia, Mr. Bregovic plays with a massive, twenty-nine-piece band. Mr. Bregovic sits in the front of the stage, plays the electric guitar and sings. The band consists of a string section, a brass and woodwinds section, a male choir, two female vocalists and a bass drum player. Although Mr. Bregovic employed minimal percussion into his music, there were very strong beats, and often, in “abnormal” time signatures, like 7/4.

My initial reaction to the music was that it sounded like Balkan wedding music…but astronomically more expansive. Because of the sheer size of the band, there are so many layers of music: in the most positive sense, listening to Goran Bregovic is a very overwhelming experience.

After staying for an hour or so, the members of Hoba Hoba Spirit and I decided to check out Tony Allen, who was performing in Hay Ryad – on the opposite side of the city.

Tony Allen, born in Nigeria, is credited for founding Afrobeat music – a mix of jazz, funk and African rhythms. Mr. Allen was the drummer for Fela Kuti, the most famous Afrobeat musician.

Saturday evening’s band consisted of a bass player, guitarist, saxophonist, trumpets, hand percussionist, and of course, Tony Allen himself. Mr. Allen was playing a modest five-piece, cherry-colored Yahama kit.

Although Mr. Allen is approaching seventy-years-old, his chops are still in full form. Because of my press pass, I was almost able to get right on the stage: it was incredible to have such a close vantage point. Watching his jelly-like hands was inspiring.

Considering that it was raining, there was a good turn out for the show. I was disappointed that I was unable to stay for all of the Goran Bregovic show, but I would not have forgiven myself if I passed up on seeing the legendary Tony Allen.

Saturday night was a strange mixture of music – Eastern European and Nigerian – yet, that just highlights the diversity of the Mawazine Festival. The videos are below the pictures.


Redefining the notion of "big band" music



























Adil can't get enough of those Balkan beats.













Goran Bregovic plays the guitars. Tuba player wears best pants/boots combination ever.











Tony Allen at the Hay Ryad scene

MAWAZINE FESTIVAL: RHYTHMS OF THE WORLD

On Friday afternoon, I arrived at Hit Radio and then was taken to the Villa des Arts to pick up my press pass for the Mawazine Festival. (Oddly enough, on the badge, my name is listed as “Jesse Mahamlan” – not exactly sure as to why). I cannot express how grateful I am that Younes at Hit Radio was able to arrange this for me.

Founded in 2001, the “Mawazine Festival: Rhythms of the World” is held in Rabat during the third week of May. The festival is nine days long across nine different venues. There are over one hundred concerts with artists from forty different countries. The festival lineup is very eclectic: everything from the Moroccan Royal Symphony to the Colombian pop sensation Juanes to jazz legend Al Di Meola to the world-famous Whitney Houston. Needless to say, there is a wonderful mix of Moroccan and international acts.

Thanks to my press pass, I was able to attend the opening ceremony for the festival – it was a “by invitation only” event. Held at the Villa des Arts, an incredible outdoor complex filled with fountains, statues and gardens in central Rabat, the inaugural event was laden with pomp and delicious pastries. The Mariachis Real de Oro, a ten-piece mariachi band from Mexico, played a short set as the invitees arrived to the venue.

After the president of the festival delivered the opening words (in Arabic and French), the Seventh Edition of the Mawazine Festival: Rhythms of the World officially began. The Luisito Quintero Percussion Madness Experience, a group from Venezuela, played the gala.

The band is composed of Luisto, who plays the drum kit and timbales, a bassist, a guitarist, a keyboardist, a synthesizer player and a hand percussionist (who plays five big conga drums). This may come as little surprise but I absolutely love it when the drummer leads the band. After the first few numbers, it was clear that the music was entirely composed around the drumming. Seldom a drummer is the musical director of a group; so, when the drummer is the principal musician, it is a very special experience.

Luisito also provided the vocals for the group; although, most of the songs were purely instrumentals. A left-handed drummer, Luisito plays a five-piece, silver-wrapped Pearl drum kit, with a (very small) 18” bass drum. He also plays the timbales like the late legend Mr. Tito Puente – in fact, they have shared the stage together.

The LQPME mixes rhythms from Venezuela, Brazil, the Caribbean and Cameroon – before each song, the band would state where the beat originates from, so it really great to have those clarifications. Fortunately for me, the band interacted with the audience in English. I always enjoy when there is a lot of dialogue between the artist and the audience. I must admit that it was difficult to listen such rhythmic music and not be able to dance!

After eating dinner near Place Ibn Yassine (and by “dinner” I mean pizza), I headed over to the Bouregreg, an outdoor venue sandwiched in between the water and the Oudayas (the old part of the city). The Bouregreg is the largest stage of the Mawazine Festival. The layout of the venue is very clever: in the front, closest to the stage there is the press and VIP section, then a mid-level pay section, and then the back area is all free. It is a really good system as it is unrealistic to expect all seats to be free. The combination of the breeze from the bay and the backdrop of the Oudayas makes it for a very special setting, indeed.

Friday’s performance featured ten-time Grammy winner George Benson. It was an enjoyable concert, especially the instrumental numbers; yet, if you are familiar with Mr. Benson’s catalogue, you will recognize that the plethora of love ballads makes the concert-going experience not exactly ideal for a single man!

Regardless, I had a nice time, and thanks to my press pass, had a great view of the stage. Thanks again Younes and everyone at Hit Radio!

Here are some pictures and videos from the performances. Enjoy!



The opening words

MORE HOBA

I cannot believe I forgot to write this in my last entry: after the Hoba Hoba Spirit concert last Saturday, everyone (band and entourage) went out to dinner. The Moroccan Music Awards were taking place that evening, so every few minutes, someone in the band would get a phone call informing them that Hoba had won such-and-such award. In the end, Hoba Hoba Spirit was awarded Best Single of the Year (“Hoba’s Back”), Best Album of the Year (Trabando) and Best Band of the Year. So a BIG congratulations to Hoba Hoba Spirit for sweeping the Moroccan Music Awards!

And if that weren’t enough for one day, the New York Times name-dropped the band in an article about the upcoming Gnaoua Festival in Essaouria. The Times referred to Hoba Hoba Spirit as, “a crowd-wowing multilingual 'Moroc ’n roll'” band. Way to go guys!

H2S IN CASA

This past Saturday, I went to a Hoba Hoba Spirit concert at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca. The show was a free concert, but only for girls, 25 years old and under.

Around one o’clock, I arrived with Adil at the arena to help set up his equipment. After a brief, but great sounding, sound-check, everyone in the band, myself and few other members of the Hoba entourage, went out for lunch. A few hours later, we returned to an arena packed with about 2,500 screaming girls.

Without a doubt, attending this concert was one of the most profound cultural experiences I have ever had, as, simply put, I have never seen so many hysterical girls in my life! The truth is that young girls in Moroccan society have a very limited social outlet. Many women are veiled; many are not – in no way is Morocco a “repressive” society; in fact, it is probably the most liberal Muslim country in the world. Nevertheless, it is clear that young women have much fewer opportunities to socialize than young men do.

The connection the band had with the (all female) audience was unprecedented: these girls were so absorbed by the music that many of them, literally, passed out. I lost count of the number of girls that were carried (while unconscious) to the medics in need of oxygen. It was almost as if I went to a time warp and was watching a Beatles concert from the early 1960s.

While the sound quality of the show left much to the imagination (arenas are never conducive for music performances), the dynamic between Hoba Hoba Spirit and the crowd made for a truly memorable experience. I am sure there are many factors as to why these young girls are able to identify with Hoba’s music that I, as an American male, will never truly understand. Yet, it was very apparent that, through the music, the band was able to form a special bond with the audience.

After the two-hour setlist was finished, I met up with the band backstage. An hour or so later, we started our exit out of the arena. Quite expectedly, there were throngs of girls waiting for autographs and pictures. It took some time to actually make it out of the venue; and when we finally did, we were greeted by more fans on the streets!

Here are some assorted pictures from the show and a video from the sound check. As it was a “ladies only” concert, I felt very awkward taking photographs, so I had a (female) Moroccan friend use my camera. So thank you, Myriam, for helping me out! Also, a huge thanks to every one in Hoba Hoba Spirit – Adil, Reda, Othmane, Anouar, Saad, and everyone else in their management crew.

Lastly, check out http://www.blogger.com/www.hobahobaspirit.comwhen you get a chance. Make sure to brush on your French first, though!

















The medics were as necessary as the microphones































Not all the seats were filled, but the floor was packed.






















































Anouar and Reda













Adil sets up his kit.

SO MUCH TO LEARN

The music of Morocco seems to be infinitely complex: due to the countless internal and external influences, there is a tremendous range in the different genres of music. This explains why the term “Moroccan music” is rather ambiguous, as “Moroccan music” can include influences from Arabian music, Andalusian music, West African music, Rai music (from Algeria) and, of course, the indigenous Berber music.

Even within Berber music, there are many variations: I was told that from tribe to tribe, there are different rhythms and melodies. Since my arrival to Morocco, I have met so many individuals – some musicians, some not – that know so much about the music of Morocco, despite the fact that there is so much to know. That is to say, it seems that throughout the population, there is a certain “common knowledge” about all of the different genres of Moroccan music. It is so impressive that so many people can thoroughly explain the histories of each school of music.

The tremendous level of diversity has led me to believe that, in order to get a true understanding of the music of Morocco, I must remain in the country for three months – the maximum allowed time without a permanent visa.

Therefore, I have extended my stay in Morocco. There are several festivals in June that I am eager to attend; chiefly, the Sacred Music Festival in Fes and Mawazine Rhythm Festival in Rabat. This means, unfortunately, that I have to eliminate Trinidad & Tobago from my itinerary. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to stay in Morocco for three full months.

HOBA HOBA SPIRIT PRACTICE

The other week, I was able to attend a practice of Adil's band, Hoba Hoba Spirit. One of the greatest frustrations of playing drums and being in a band is finding suitable practice space. In urban environments, no doubt, there are few apartments that are capable of hosting jam sessions, as the noise would disturb the neighbors.

Adil told me that a local, wealthy businessman offered to let the band use a building (that was old mattress showroom) free of charge. The support the band gets from the community is fantastic: it is so great to see that Hoba Hoba Spirit’s music is embraced by the locals. As a drummer, that sort of philanthropy makes me smile!

The band was preparing for a show that upcoming weekend in Paris. Although they hadn’t played together for about a month, they still sounded very good. They rehearsed their twenty-four song set list: it was really neat to witness this performance in such an intimate setting. The rhythms of Hoba’s songs are really outstanding: because of the West African influence on their music, many of the beats are in six, rather than four.

Throughout May and June, I will have several opportunities to see Hoba perform live. I am really excited to witness the energy of their live performances.

PIETRI > RETURN TO CASABLANCA

A few Fridays back, I met Adil Hanine, the drummer of Hoba Hoba Spirit, at Hotel Pietri, a jazz bar in Rabat. Hoba Hoba Spirit is one of the most popular bands in Morocco right now – they received constant airplay and even tour internationally. Based out of Casablanca, Hoba’s music is a fusion of rock, reggae, and Gnaoua. The influence of Moroccan rhythms gives the band a truly awesome, not to mention unique, sound. Check

Adil made a guest appearance at Pietri, both on vocals and drums, during the performance of an Afro-Pop band, Super Jungle. After chatting for an hour or so, Adil said I was more than welcome to stay at his house in Casablanca, whenever I needed a place to crash. The following Sunday, I left Rabat for Casa.

The hospitality in Morocco is incredible: never have I traveled throughout a country where so many people are eager to provide the lonely traveler accommodation.
Adil met me at the Casa Port train station and took me back to his house. A couple of his friends were already over, and we hours we just talked about music, discussing everything from the underrated solo career of John Frusciante to the indispensable contribution George Harrison made to fusion music. It never ceases to amaze me to find people on other continents with such similar music tastes as my own: music truly is the universal language.

That night, Adil, his Bulgarian wife Tzvety, and I went to a local restaurant/bar that has live music. The place is a favorite spot amongst local musicians, as there are guitars, drums and microphones already set up. Needless to say, there are many jam sessions featuring Casablanca’s finest musicians.

After a delicious mixed grill dinner, I played drums with Adil (who was on bass) and another guitarist. We played songs we all knew, such as “No Woman No Cry,” “I Feel Good” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Being that I have not really practiced in since I left New York, it was somewhat intimidating to perform in front of thirty to forty people. Nonetheless, it was a blast to be able to play, albeit a brief twenty minutes.



Adil, the drummer of Hoba Hoba Spirit, and JP the bass player of Super Jungle outside Hotel Pietri in Rabat.










Saad, the bass player of Hoba, myself and Adil outside Pietri.









Jamming at a club in Casablanca.