12/13 Season SEPT-JAN

Transcription

1 12/13 Season SEPT-JAN

2 Courtesy of International Music Network Acoustic Africa Afropean Woman featuring Dobet Gnahore, Kareyce Fotso and Manou Gallo with Leni Stern musical direction Aly Keita balafon Saturday, November 8 PM Zellerbach Theatre Program. Set list will be announced from stage. There will be an intermission. This performance is supported in part by a grant from the Trustees Council of Penn Women. 12/13 Season 27

3 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Dobet Gnahore Dobet Gnahore, a singer, dancer and percussionist from the Ivory Coast, inherited the force of the Bété tradition from her father, Boni Gnahore, a master percussionist who plays with the Abidjan-based Ki-Yi Mbock Company, directed by Werewere Liking. It was within this Ivory Coast-based company that Gnahore met French guitarist Colin Laroche de Féline, who went there to immerse himself in African melodies and rhythms. Having spent some time in the well-known Tché Tché dance Gnahore decided, with Colin, to form a duo. The duo toured widely in France ( ) where they settled temporarily following the instability that unfortunately struck the Ivory Coast. When they returned to Abidjan in 2001, they took part in the Masa Off Festival. While they were there, they recorded eight songs under the supervision of the late Marcellin Yacé. They then decided to return to France, at least until peace and stability reigned in their beautiful country once again. From Mandingue melodies to Congolese rumba, from Ivory Coast Ziglibiti to Cameroon Bikoutsi, from Ghanian High-Life to Zulu choirs, their compositions, carried along with jazzlike sounds, are varied and colorful. The sanza, the balafon, the calebasse and bongos are brought in to support the guitar, the vocal back-up and Gnahore s warm and powerful voice. Kareyce Fotso Kareyce Fotso was born in the country of Bamiléké and was raised with the Béti. After studying successfully for a number of years (in biochemistry and a Brevet de Technicien Superieur, the equivalent of an Associate of Arts, in broadcasting), she won the right of engaging in her passion, singing. She debuted in the cabarets of Yaoundé and became a member of a chorus. She was noticed while in the group, Kornogo Jam d Erik Aliana, for her stage presence and exceptional voice. In France, as part of her residence Visas pour le creation [Visas For The Creation] (May to July of 2009), she worked under the artistic direction of Francois Kokelaere, who directed l Ensemble National des Percussions de Guinee and enables the Guinean group Wofa to tour internationally. Of this meeting was born a solo show where Kareyce Fotso, accompanied by her guitar, offered beautiful, playful melodies and B&R, which highlighted the full capabilities of her voice. A powerful, original voice, tinged with a veil of soul issued from the blues and from the African tradition a tradition that she does not forget, as she is accompanied by a sanza, wooden drum or bells. The songs are sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, but always filled with emotions. Manou Gallo When Manou Gallo was born, her great grandmother, bound to die shortly after, promised her: I give you the world. Since that time, Manou Gallo has gone her own way. With the help of talented groovy guys, she recorded three albums Dida, Manou Gallo and Lowlin. She grooves just for fun on an afrobeat song or dreams of a place among the stars. The small girl of Divo shocked the village people when she played the traditional drums. Today, she is the woman with a drum. She looks after Marcelin Yassé, her mentor, her father, her talisman. The belief in tradition mustn t prevent you from going ahead says Manou. And so she embraces the world. After being a singer, bass player (Woya/Zap Mama/Tambours de Brazza), percussion player and dancer; Gallo turned into a brilliant band leader. The stage is like her second home, and she pays a lot of attention to her live performance. She brings African music in a very inventive and modern way. Gallo has been inspired by the Djiboi (people of the Ivory Coast) but also by her current Western musical culture. The combination of soul, funk and blues is within the concept of groove, a common denominator. 28

4 Aly Keita Meeting Aly Keita is a great opportunity to discover what being passionate about music really means. When Keita speaks or plays music, he shares his enthusiasm with those around him with a glimmer of a dream in his eyes. Always smiling, he communicates his joie de vivre and energy to each and every person. Descended from a family of musicians, Keita grew up surrounded by traditional instruments like the djembe and the kora. His favorite instrument became the balafon, which he made with his own hands as a young man, and which he has played ever since, to shine alongside the very best Omar Sosa, Rhoda Scott, Etienne M Bappé, Linley Marthe, Paolo Fresu, Paco Séry, Trilok Gurtu, Hans Lüdemann and Joe Zawinul. Leni Stern Born in Munich, Germany, Leni Stern started playing piano at the age of six and guitar at 11. At 17, she formed her own acting company, and her radical productions sold out houses across Europe. In 1977, she turned her attention to music and left for the United States to study film scoring at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Scoring gave way to her love for guitar and in 1981, Stern moved to New York to play in a variety of rock and jazz bands. In 1983, she formed a group of her own with Paul Motion on drums and Bill Frisell on guitar. As a recording artist, she originally made a name for herself in jazz circles (her first nine albums were instrumental), then crossed her talents over into the singer-songwriter realm, garnering consistent praise in the process. Critics have said her music incorporates intelligent lyrics and beautifully drawn vignettes (Washington Post), crystalline, jazz-meets-blues guitar lines (Guitar Player) and thoughtful structure, evocative moods, attention to groove (San Francisco Bay Guardian). Stern runs her own label, LSR/Ryko Distribution partners. 12/13 Season 29

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