Getting Schooled - Prepping for a gig

[Fun Size Nick]

I love this. I had a similar experience when I joined an afrobeat band in Beijing, playing lots of Fela/Femi Kuti tunes and some originals. It was a trip to figure out how to play stuff which often had an entirely different conception of time feel to what I was used to, and I learned so much from the players I was with who were kind enough to school me on it! Easily one of the best experiences of my musical life on stage.

 

[superheavyfunk]

I've been playing with African artists in North America and Europe for years now and I'm still amazed at all the new rhythms those guys forced me to learn

 

[BaileyMan]

To the OP, you profess total ignorance of this music, but you must like it or you wouldn't be so excited about it. Perhaps these guys sense your appreciation of this music and think you're worth the effort. Sounds like a great endeavor. The kind of stuff that makes music worth playing.

Thank you. Yes, absolutely a great endeavor.

I don't have total ignorance, but two ensemble courses on African Groove certainly don't make me an expert. Those courses did absolutely help deepen my appreciation!

I love how all of the parts fit together. There's a lot of creating pockets for other instruments to sit in or dance on top of. I love how a bass line can sound so simple yet be deceptively complex. I love hanging on one groove and finding ways to make it pop and exploring variations. I love that it gets people dancing! The songs have a lightness and joyfulness to them. The music feels like a celebration of life, and with everything we've faced the past couple of years and all the suffering that's being experienced around the world, some celebration is needed.

 

[thetaxmiser]

Great thread. For me, experiences like this are the best part of playing music.

 

[Father Gino]

I wonder if, when we learn a whole new musical language, will we still have an American accent in our playing?

I would think yes. That's how music evolves. Very similar to Blues. European white folk discovered American Blues and for good or ill, you ended up with Cream. The absorption of styles goes both ways too. Music is a pretty cool international ambassador.

 

[cymbop]

You're humble, you're enthusiastic, and these guys believe that you are capable. What a perfect environment for learning. You are a lucky dude.

 

[superheavyfunk]

What a cool opportunity!

I wonder if, when we learn a whole new musical language, will we still have an American accent in our playing?

Funny you ask. I had exactly this situation explicitly asked of me by an African artist that I work with.

The artist had a track that he wanted me to record on. I asked him if he had a chart or a reference track that he wanted me to work from, to which he replied that he just wanted me to create something on the spot and see what happened. I created a bass line that to me, sounded appropriately African. When we were listening back to it, he commented that really, his goal was to hear what a North American (I'm not from the US) version of an African groove sounded like. It was distinctly not "American" but neither was it wholly African, since I wasn't raised in that musical culture - it was a blend of the two, much like trying to speak Yoruba with a foreign accent.

Another way to look at this would be like having a predominately rock band cover a funk tune. Generally, the band might lose some of the groove and straighten things out, since that's what they've always done. It'd still sound "funky" but might not be fully "Funk." I'm thinking of the Chilli Peppers version of Higher Ground, for example.

 

[singlemalt]

It's cool how music travels from one culture to another and boomerangs back with a new twist.

I've lost track of how many waves of ska have come and gone.

 

[Clever Moniker]

Congratulations! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so pleased that it's fallen into your lap. Soak up everything you possibly can. You'll never regret it.

 

[BaileyMan]

Well, today's the big day!

Getting ready for my debut with singer Ousseynou Kouyate and balaphone player Mohamed Kouyate.

We're playing tonight at Ashkenaz in Berkeley. A local, world music institution for decades. It's my first gig here and I'm pretty excited.

I've learned 14 songs in about a month, with about 5 rehearsals. I'm wondering how many new songs they'll toss into the mix at sound check. Thankfully it's pretty much just one bassline throughout most of the songs.

I can't promise much for a fancy gig report with pics, but I'll do my best to report back with something.

 

[Hot Rats]

Well, today's the big day!

Getting ready for my debut with singer Ousseynou Kouyate and balaphone player Mohamed Kouyate.

We're playing tonight at Ashkenaz in Berkeley. A local, world music institution for decades. It's my first gig here and I'm pretty excited.

I've learned 14 songs in about a month, with about 5 rehearsals. I'm wondering how many new songs they'll toss into the mix at sound check. Thankfully it's pretty much just one bassline throughout most of the songs.

I can't promise much for a fancy gig report with pics, but I'll do my best to report back with something.

Dang, I'm close to that venue. I would have checked it out. How did it go? Please post about more gigs around the bay.

 

[P. Aaron]

When we hear something new that grabs us, the 1st question is usually;

How do they do that?

Sounds like a cool gig.

 

[BaileyMan]

Here's a little bit of a gig report.

First gig with West African Band