Malian music marvels by Beth Bernstein Contributing Writer Cultural pride permeated the air Friday night in Crowell Concert Hall as Malian musician Djelimady Tounkara and his band took the stage. The concert opened with a quartet of guitarists, led by graduate student Ian Eagleson and featuring Chair of the Music Department Eric Charry. Each of the group’s songs began with a solo guitarist who was eventually joined by the remaining three, creating a unique blend of harmonious sounds. After a few songs by the opening group, Djelimady and his band took their places onstage. Clad in colorful ethnic robes, Djelimady and his fellow musicians were appealing to more than just the visual sense. The music they created was equally as stimulating and unique. According to the show’s program, Djelimady has been hailed one of the most powerful electric guitarists in Africa, and he pioneered the transformation of ancient Manding griot music onto guitar. More traditional African instruments were played as well. Percussionist Bamba Dembele played the djembe and the calabash, two percussion instruments (one of which he desperately attempted to sell to any willing audience member). A drum was strapped around his waist, while the other appeared to be a hollow half-sphere that he hit with wooden sticks to create an effective drumbeat. Fode Salif Sacko played the ngoni, a predecessor to the modern guitar, which resembled a wooden oar with strings. The band members’ personalities shone through each song, as the vocalists (Samba Sissoko and Djelimady’s daughter Mariam Tounkara) were not the only ones putting emotion into their music making. Every now and then Djelimady began a playful dance, kicking his feet in time to the music and nodding his head as he played the guitar. Bamba appeared to be the comic relief of the group, as his amusing facial expressions and periodic vocal interjections displayed his enthusiasm and jubilant attitude toward the music and the audience. The chemistry among the group’s members was evident throughout the show. Their frequent eye contact and smiling, along with the vocalists’ synchronized choreography, conveyed an immense amount of positive energy to the audience. Audience participation was key to the performance. Individuals were invited to participate in a call and response activity, despite the fact that not many people had any clue as to what the words were. Audience members were also encouraged to climb onstage and show off their dancing skills. The concert was an extremely unique experience, as Malian music is not heard very often in the United States. “There are not many universities in the US where you can study music from Mali,” Charry said in his opening statement. “In fact, Wesleyan is the only one I know of.” Students in attendance felt fortunate to be exposed to such an extraordinary type of music. “I’m really glad to have the opportunity to hear people like [Djelimady] who are so well renowned in a very specific genre,” said Laura Siegle ’06. “It’s great to have the chance to be exposed to this kind of music here at Wes.” Many audience members stayed after the encore to purchase CD’s of the group. Djelimady’s 2001 release Sigui presents a musical autobiography of his life and is available on Indigo records.

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