The Edmonton Folk Music Festival took place August 10-13 at Gallagher Park. Known for its diverse selection of musical artists, this year in particular there was an eclectic assortment of acts from different countries and cultures.
On the first night of the festival, things got kicked off with Solo. The name was ironic: the band was composed of numerous members of two of Quebec's most well-known traditional groups, Le Vent Du Nord and De Temps Antan. Their performance was exciting, with the sound heavy on fiddles and stomping.
Solo
Solo
Next up was Lakou Mizik, a collective of musicians from Haiti from different generations. The group formed in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. Consisting of vocalists, rare horns, guitars, accordion, and percussion, the music and stage performance (which was very physical) captivated the Thursday night audience.
Lakou Mizik
Lakou Mizik
Lakou Mizik
Lakou Mizik
Unfortunately, the evening had to be called to a conclusion early, as a sudden and severe windstorm resulted in the last two performances being cancelled, and the park evacuated. Shakey Graves and The Decemberists have been invited back to perform at the 2018 festival.
The Thursday evening sky.
With their traditional instruments made by the band itself, and captivating throat singing, Huun Huur Tu's sound was mesmerizing. The band is from Tuva, a very small country on the Mongolia-Russia border.
Huun Huur Tu
Edmonton's Mohsin Zaman, originally from Pakistan, has become a driving force in the local music scene and was named the Folk Fest's first Artist in Residence.
Mohsin Zaman
A number of Indigenous acts appeared at this year's Folk Fest. From the Treaty 6 land upon which the Folk Fest takes place was the Logan Alexis Singers and friends, presenting a variety of singing, drumming, and dance styles. During their concert performance on Sunday, they had the audience up on their feet for a round dance.
Logan Alexis Singers
Logan Alexis Singers
Round Dancing
William Prince is a folk/country singer/songwriter from Manitoba whose First Nations roots are very evident in his lyrics.
William Prince
The Jerry Cans, from Nunavut, had Stage One in a dancing frenzy during their Saturday evening concert. Inuit throat-singing and traditional language of Inuktituk mixed with their roots-rock sound.
The Jerry Cans
Taking the afternoon main stage on Sunday was Amadou & Mariam, a couple from Mali who met at a school for the blind. Mariam's vocals and Amadou's incredible guitar work soared through bluesy, danceable songs.
Amadou & Mariam
Like every year, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival featured a food court that also seemed to have a world influence, including Asian, East Indian, Native American, and western choices, as well as a lot of vegetarian/vegan items. There was also a craft/artisan market and merchandise tent where fans could get t-shirts and CDs.
One of Mali's greatest Tuareg blues guitar groups, Terakaft, brings us another gem from the desert. This is the fifth album from Terakaft and it keeps getting better. The soulful and bluesy guitar rhythms are punctuated by hand-claps, ambulating percussion, scintillating guitar strums, and bubbly bass-lines. The music is quite peaceful at times, while the guitar and rock-like arrangements make an appearance on a few of the tracks. The songs are sung in Tamasheq with liner notes in Tamasheq, English, and French. There are nine tunes here with loads of great grooves imbibing the Saharan spirit through mesmerizing guitar chords. The electric guitar sounds are not to be missed. As a total package, Alone is one of the best Tuareg releases of the year. If you seek Tuareg guitar rock and Tamasheq-soaked songs, then Terakaft should be high up on your list. ~ Matthew Forss
The power of the Malian ngoni lute is highlighted by Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba's powerful rhythms, rock-tinged arrangements, and bluesy vocals ripe with African panache and deep, historic roots amidst a contemporary setting. The ngoni's stirring and entrancing sounds are intensified by the fact there are five ngonis that make up the band's sound. Traditional drums, calabash, keyboards, guitars, and horns provide a modern tone, but the music is still rooted in Malian blues and soul. There are vocal pieces, but the real charm comes from the instrumental grooves and punchy rhythms found throughout the album. Ba Power is a musical gem with occasional rock guitar displays and earthy, traditional instrumentation with a trance-filled soul. There are nine tracks in all. The vocals are in Bambara. Not to be missed! ~ Matthew Forss
Under the direction of Cris Ubermann, BKO Quintet releases a great recording of contemporary music rooted in Malian traditions with traditional instruments to boot. The new album, Bamako Today, features the music of Aymeric Krol with various instrumental accompaniment, including the dunun, donsongoni, djembe, djelingoni, acoustic and electric guitar, and drum set. The instrumentation is very organic and soul-stirring with a steady supply of affectionate intonations and historic renderings. The accompanying DVD contains musical performances of the group in a documentary format for nearly fifty-three minutes. Fans of Malian music, ngoni music, Saharan music, Afro-pop, and contemporary African music will not be disappointed here. ~ Matthew Forss
Mali's iconic vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, Boubacar Traore, brings us a fresh set of tracks steeped in Saharan charisma and African history on his latest release, Mbalimaou. The sauntering. bluesy tune, "Hona," resembles a little late-Ali Farka Toure influence with edgy harmonica, talented guitar fingerings, and light percussion. The album is rich with n'goni, sokou, kora, shaker, calabash, and karignan sounds. The music is rather acoustic and spacious with subtle intonations and jazzy grooves led by Boubacar's husky voicings. Malian blues are alive and well on the album. Comparisons to the late-Ali Farka Toure are noteworthy and necessary. Boubacar's guitar playing is more acoustic and experimental overall, but the bluesy and jazzy instrumentation adds to the contemplative mood of the music without compromising quality. The twelve-track release is a perfect introduction to Mali's blues, as well as a recommended album for more seasoned Saharan music fans. ~ Matthew Forss
Mali's heralded griot, Kasse Mady Diabate, comes from a very musical region of West Africa and possesses a lengthy musical resume working with the Orchestre Regional Super Mande de Kangaba, Ibrahima Sylla, Ketama, Toumani Diabate, and Taj Mahal. Kasse Mady sings in Bambara--the primary language of southern Mali. For nearly five decades, Kasse Mady has been creating music with griot praise-songs and rootsy folk idioms without resorting to shiny pop confections. Kasse Mady is joined by Makan Badje Tounkara on ngoni, Lansine Kouyate on balafon, Ballake Sissoko on kora, and Vincent Segal on cello. The entire group creates a chamber-like musical result that is poignant and intimate. At times, the instruments take turns rattling listeners into a frenzy, but in a rather reserved manner. This is a very mature recording showing great depth and knowledge of griot music and world fusion. Anyone into West African music should acquire Kirike. ~ Matthew Forss
Mali's Awa Sangho is a very talented singer with a passion for music and incorporating traditional instrumentation in a contemporary setting. The music is fresh, catchy, and full of rich textures. The melodies and rhythms are equally-astounding. There are thirteen delicacies on this album and not one of them are identical. In addition to Awa's youthful vocals, the album is graced with guitar, bass, percussion, ngoni, kora, balafon, talking flute, ndjarka, bolon, bass guitar, and djembe. "Tambin Y Tambor" is a perfect blend of international instruments coming together for a relaxing and intriguing tune. "Denko" is a jazzy, Afro-pop tune with stellar vocals and sounds, "Emama" is a gritty, guitar tune with rippling sound effects and a Congolese-like rhythm. All of the songs are easy to listen to and void of anything distracting, disruptive, or unnecessary. Anyone with an interest in contemporary Malian music will love it. ~ Matthew Forss
As a follow-up to their 2012 The Tel Aviv Sessions, The Paris Sessions continues to bridge the musical worlds of Israel and Mali together. The collective is Vieux Farka Toure and Idan Raichel. Vieux Farka Toure is the son of the late-Ali Farka Toure, and one of Ali's best guitar jams, "Diaraby," is included. Most of the songs are instrumental jams that are jazz and African-influenced. The collective is joined by musicians, Niv Toar, Daby Toure, Abdourhamane Salaha, Seckouba Diabate, Eyal Sela, and Dialimory Sissoko. The piano adds a plaintive touch to the music, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The vocals are not too showy or overdone. In fact, the entire production is quite poignant, mature, and timeless. The music was recorded in France over Mali, due to the societal/political instability. At any rate, the result is a fantastic overview of Israeli and Malian tunes coming together in a sort of fusion that works. ~ Matthew Forss
Dexter Johnson & Le Super Star De Dakar Live a l'Etoile Teranga Beat
Nigerian-born with ties to Dakar, Senegal via Bamako, Mali, Dexter Johnson & Le Super Star De Dakar, was a talented performer on saxophone. The Afro-Cuban jazz concoctions are steeped in sax, percussion, and rollicking good riffs, licks, and chords. The giddy guitars are somewhat Congolese-related, but the music is inherently West African with a good dose of North American jazz similarities. There are thirteen tracks that span Dexter's playlist from the early 50's and 60's style of jazz to Afro-Cuban classics and boogaloo compositions. Anyone familiar with Dexter's work should obtain this recording. It was the last recorded performance before their departure to Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 1969. There are a few singers, including John Gomis and William & Maissa Ngom, which add a good level of diversity to the tracks. This is primarily an Afro-jazz recording, so if you are seeking traditional West African music, you should look elsewhere. Overall, Dexter hits some high notes here with nothing to complain about. ~ Matthew Forss
Ibrahima Sarr is a professional djembe player from Mali that has toured the world over the last few decades. Ibrahima incorporates various djembes, balafons, and vocals on the mostly instrumental and percussive release. The thunderous drums and lighter balafon sounds aptly showcase a dynamic range of sounds that are trance-inducing and memorable. the highly traditional sounds are not bluesy, contemporary, or rock-centered. Instead, the organic arrangements of vocals, drums, and balafons make the album shimmer with a nostalgic and historic presence. The talented group of instrumentalists make the album stand out, along with the various themes revolving around medical issues, ceremonies, and dances. The extensive liner notes illustrate some of the song meanings in English. Fans of Malian drumming and African dance music will love the entrancing melodies and rhythms produced by the drums, balafon, and sporadic vocals. ~ Matthew Forss
Zoumana Tereta Soku Fola: Traditional String Music From Segou, Mali Kanaga System Krush
Born in Bamako, Mali, Zoumana Tereta began playing music at age sixteen. Originally mastering the Krinyani stringed instrument native to the Fulani, Zoumana moved on to the soku fiddle and bonfle (Fulani flute). The soku fiddle is the primary instrument highlighted on the new album, Soku Fola... However, Zoumana is joined by other instruments, including the acoustic guitar, bass djeli n'goni, and calabash. The acoustic album is very organic and raw with various vocalizations and instrumental arrangements. The soku fiddle and calabash take the spotlight on "Sorre." Zoumana's husky voice is mature and intriguing. There are liner notes about each song, the instruments, and production notes. Anyone interested in learning more about North African music will especially love the recording from a seasoned veteran. ~ Matthew Forss
North Africa's blues guitar kings are back with another highly-lauded release. Emmaar, which means "the heat on the breeze," is the next installment in Tinariwen's slew of successful albums that attempts to bring a more world rock sound, while still cementing their name in the addictive, swirling, and blues-infused music inherent from their humble beginnings. The reinforcement of the Westernization influences are evidenced by the cover art and liner note poster featuring Tinariwen at a ranch in southern California. This is partly due to the political instability back home in Mali. However, Tinariwen seems at home in any desert; no matter where it is located. There are eleven tracks on this album. There are a lot of repetitious guitar rhythms throughout, but it is broken up by various percussion and vocals. The guitars are organic, gritty, and fuzzy in parts, but the recording quality is still top-notch. Overall, Tinariwen produces yet another fine recording with relatively minor qualms. The lyrics are sung in Tamasheq. ~ Matthew Forss
Formed in 1993, Imarhan Timbuktu is a Tuareg guitar group from Mali and spearheaded by Mohamed Issa Ag Oumar El Ansari. The album contains eight songs about the plight of Tuareg refugees in the camps of Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Niger. Mohamed is a guitarist and vocalist on the album. Mohamed is joined by his brother, Ousmane Ag Oumar El Ansari and backup vocalists, Fadimata Walet Oumar and Zeina Walet. There is also a lively percussion section that fills in the vocals and guitars with a nomadic presence. The music is soul-stirring and in the vein of other North African guitarists, such as Tinariwen, Toumast, and Tartit. The music saunters along with majestic cadences, back-up vocal trills, and lilting guitars performing memorable riffs, licks, and chords. One of the highlights, "Tarha Tazar," possesses a great rhythm and melody. Fans of North African guitar music will love it. Discover your inner nomad today! ~ Matthew Forss
Lobi Traore Bwati Kono "In The Club"...Raw Electric Blues From Bamako Kanaga System Krush
Lobi Traore gives us electric blues guitar music straight from Bamako, Mali on his last recording before his death. The album contains nine live tracks with lively, blues guitar music, which is gritty, raw, and organic. The music is jam-worthy and trance-inducing in parts, but Lobi's great guitar calisthenics wins us over. There are traditional instruments that accompany the electric guitar sounds, including djembe and balafon. The spacious beats and inventive delivery make Bwati Kono... one of the best West African recordings in recent memory. Lobi followed in the tradition of Vieux Farka Toure and Zani Diabate. This is not an acoustic guitar album. There are many long instrumentals in between the vocals, which aids in the incredible musicianship for all to enjoy. Lobi will be missed; but his music will live on. Enjoy it today! ~ Matthew Forss
Mali's Habib Koite releases a stunning album, Soo, which means "home," that brings to life the music of North Africa and Mali in particular. Habib is the lead vocalist and guitarist on the album, but he is joined by other instruments, including bass, keyboards, calabash, kora, n'goni, doun doun, djembe, banjo, and others. The eleven-track release traverses the Saharan spectrum of musical ingeniousness. The rhythmic tunes combine with Habib's soulful vocals in Bambara, Dogon, Malinke, and Khassonke, to provide a fascinating listening experience overall. The poignant and catchy "L.A." is an excellent example of trans-cultural musical exchange with the banjo taking center stage with Afro-Latin percussive elements to boot. The sounds emanate in a beautiful delivery without fault. Anyone familiar with Habib Koite's previous works will love this new, adventurous release. Fans of Malian contemporary music will be pleased, too. ~ Matthew Forss
Tuareg blues guitar music hits the music airwaves once again, but this time it is not Tinariwen, Tidawt, or Toumast. Instead, the North African guitar rockers are Ezza, originally from Niger, but now based in France. The seven track release is loaded with rockin' hooks and licks deep from within the Saharan desert. However, the musical influences may extend beyond the region, but the end result is something of pure magnificence. The fluid guitar calisthenics are very engaging, along with the lead vocals. Fans of North African blues guitar music will like this upbeat recording. Anyone with a passion for African guitar music should check it out, though. ~ Matthew Forss
Hailing from the border of Guinea and Mali, in a town called Siguiri, Nakany Kante brings together a mix of Wassoulou, soukous, m'balax, reggae, and afro-pop. The result is a twelve-track release with upbeat percussion, lush vocals, and rippling guitars. Nakany is joined by other musicians on dundun, congas, kora, djeli n'goni, bass, electric guitar, balafon, and other instruments. The rich textural layers are poignant and unforgettable. Nakany's voice meanders along with a youthful exuberance and a melodic overtone. I wish I could pick a favorite track from this album, but all the tracks are favorites. Anyone with an interest or obsession with West African popular music will find Nakany Kante's latest work very enthralling. Highly recommended. ~ Matthew Forss
Hailing from Mali, Tiecoro Sissoko is a talented vocalist and guitarist in the Djeli tradition of West Africa. Tiecoro is joined by Madouba Camara on kora and Adama Tounkara on djeli n'goni. The rather acoustic offering is rich with scintillating strings and cascading vocal harmonies emanating from the spirit of Malian griot traditions. The relatively acoustic feel is very melancholic, relaxing, and meditative. There is a mix of instrumental and vocal music throughout. Unfortunately, Tiecoro died in 2012, but thankfully, his music will live on every time the album is played. The combination of kora, guitar, and djeli n'goni makes the music come alive and dance around in the listener's soul for a truly engaging and momentous result. Fans of Malian guitar music will appreciate it. ~ Matthew Forss
German-born and US-based, Leni Stern, brings us an inviting mix of North African guitar songs with hearty percussion and bluesy grooves. Leni plays the guitar, baritone guitar, n'goni, and provides lead vocals. However, additional musical accompaniment is provided by Mamadou Ba on bass, Alioune Faye on djembe, calabash, and percussion, Sabar Percussion Ensemble, Haurona Samake on camele n'goni, Leo Genovese on keys, Idriss Diop and Jazz on vocals, and Marieme on backing vocals. The music is recorded in Senegal, mixed in Mali, and enjoyed by the world-over. "Babacar" is a carefree romp through the desert with ambulating beats, experimental blues guitar stylings, and a myriad of other intriguing sounds produced in subtle ways. "Jelell," which means 'take it,' contains heady percussion and jazzy nuances with Leni's vocals leading the charge. "Dimbali Ma" begins with up-tempo percussion and folksy vocalizations by Leni. Her smoky vocals and emotive deliveries are paramount. The sweet guitar sounds emanate with such a strong life force on this track and others. There is a good mix of instrumental and vocal tracks throughout, but the combination of traditional percussion and up-beat guitar, bass, and keys move the music into another dimension. Great stuff. ~ Matthew Forss
Born in Mali, Africa, Samba Toure creates moving blues music with lilting guitar work and North African rhythms. Samba tackles the guitar, calabash, and percussion instruments. As a vocalist, Samba resembles Ali Farka Toure. There are backing vocals on a few tracks and traditional violins and contemporary keyboards on others. Overall, Samba's music is full of Malian brilliance with engaging vocals and enthralling instrumentation with lyrics that tackle societal ills. Samba is joined by Djime Sissoko on ngoni, Madou Sanogo on congas/djembe, Zoumana Tereta on sokou, Aminata Wassidje Traore on backing vocals, and Hugo Race on guitar and keyboards. The bluesy tunes and ambulating beats are raw and passionate. Anyone familiar with North African guitar blues will notice Albala--a fast-emerging release that combines the best of both worlds: African roots and blues music. ~ Matthew Forss
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