Housed beneath stained glass by sunset-red rays and drifting smoke, AKA Trio spent an unforgettable night with their Islington audience for Joyful Noise’s London African Music Festival. Taking to the stage in one of the city’s most celestial venues, Union Chapel, they performed a range of music inspired by their African roots. Seckou Keita, Adriano Adewale and Antonio Forcione are three master musicians from Senegal, Brazil and Italy that combined form a virtuosic band.
The threesome opened the show with the interlaced plucking of strings from Seckou’s West African kora, creating delightful shape-shifting melodies. Antonio eloquently weaved in his melting guitar lines and Adriano provided a soft heartbeat on percussion, bringing the set to life.
The trio filled the church with waking jungle sounds as they played ‘African Dawn’. With eyes shut, you could see the tropical birds and rustling rainforest trees taking quick residence, as if one of the crowd had opened a Jumanji board. The group then lifted the energy with a song dedicated to Nelson Mandela. ‘Madiba’s Jive’ was inspired by Antonio’s time in Zimbabwe and they jumped up and down with the stabs, bouncing the spirits of the audience in time.
The three men charmed with an abundance of deprecating personality and charisma, indulging the congregation with a little backstory between songs. I suspect this is a must-have quality for any bandmate of Seckou, who cheerfully endeavoured to keep each of the twenty one strings of his kora in tune with a large grin.
Each of the expert players showcased a solo piece. Seckou had the whole audience chanting loudly during his contemplative piece ‘If Only I Knew’ whilst Adriano brought some Brazilian carnival spirit into the mix, with his fast twitching Pandeiro at the front of the stage.
Although the audience felt a little refrained in their pews, by the finale everyone was up on their feet, with the brave few dancing down the aisles. Unexpectedly the set even finished with a grand rock and roll ending.
At times it did feel like three separate musicians accompanying each other on their individual compositions and it will be interesting to watch as they pen more material as a trio. Regardless, this was a night of engaging performance and merry jubilation and it would be sacrilege to not indulge at the very next opportunity we get.
Renowned Senegalese kora master Seckou Keita has teamed up with the BBC Concert Orchestra to present his latest project, African Rhapsodies, scheduled for release on May 26th. The project, created with London-based Italian composer, arranger and bass player Davide Mantovani, is a celebration of Africa’s 22-stringed harp, the kora and…
Artists: BBC Concert Orchestra , Seckou Keita
Ever since the festival relocated to the West Mid Showground in 2007, its varied global line-up has continued to grow. Released from the clutches of its traditional folk narrative, it brought forward the orthodox values of its folkie origins, the Shrewsbury Folk Festival has fostered a place for world and…
Artists: Afro Celt Sound System , Carrivick Sisters , Kate Rusby , Seckou Keita , Sheema Mukherjee , Transglobal Underground
Preview of the album: This Album is no longer available however if you want to receive exclusive access to a free album like this each month just sign up to our monthly newsletter by filling in the form below: Summery vibes anyone? No matter the weather and what’s happening…
Artists: Adrian Younge , Ali Shaheed Muhammad , Baaba Maal , Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band , Brian Jackson , Carthnage , Dat Garcia , Iseo & Dodosound , Kit Sebastian , Kutiman , Luedji Luna , Sangit , Saulo Duarte , Seckou Keita , Tribilin Sound
Having mourned the absence of authorization last year due to Covid-19, the organisers of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival have been working tirelessly to revise its format for 2021. Set on the outskirts of medieval Shrewsbury at the West Mid Showground, the SFF has branded its 2021 comeback “a celebration of…
Artists: Afro Celt Sound System , Dawes , Jiggy , Kate Rusby , Oysterband , Richard Thompson , Seckou Keita , Skerryvore , Sona Jobarteh
This show is a trip through world music and global beats searching for the Oneness in humanity, regardless of all geographical, political, economic and all kinds of divisions, and identifications we might all have, in these times of uncertainties we search for Unity. The unity that music brings to us……
Artists: Adrian Younge , Ali Shaeed Muhamad , Fadoul , Flagelo Urbano , Gary Bartz , Kokoroko , Omar Sosa , Ondatrópica , ONIPA , Pat Kalla et Le Super Modjo , Prace , Samba Negra , Seckou Keita , Seun Kuti , Sir Victor Uwaifo and His Titibitis , Star Band de Dakar , Tabou Combo , The Brother Moves On
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: 47SOUL , Chancha Via Circuito , Dead Prez , Imarhan , Jally Kebba Susso , Kampire , Kanda Bongo Man , Kikagaku Moyo , Kokoroko , Madalitso Band , Otim Alpha , Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno , S H I R A N , Sandman Project , Seckou Keita , Songhoy Blues , Steam Down , The Black Seeds , Thundercat
The concept behind the AfroCubism collaboration is to celebrate and unite some of Mali and Cuba’s hottest musicians and to explore their shared spirit of Afro-Cuban soul. In the Sixties, socialist Mali politics had close links to those of the new communist Cuban government, creating strong ties between the two…
Artists: Afrocubism , Bassekou Kouyate , Hammadi Valdés , Piki Bosh , Seckou Keita , Yelfris Valdés![Album Review: Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita – Transparent Water [World Village/Harmonia Mundi, 24th February 2017]](https://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/artworks-000190691518-ioy2nx-t500x500.jpg)
Transparent Water, a meeting between Cuban jazz pianist Omar Sosa and versatile Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita, is a delightful sounding album that lures the listener into an enchanted sonorous world. Keita has made his mark in recent years as a sensitive collaborator (with Welsh harpist Katrin Finch, for example),…
Artists: Omar Sosa , Seckou Keita
On the eve of the release of his latest album Transparent Water, Senégalese kora player, percussionist and singer Seckou Keita was packing to fly to Paris for some radio sessions and shows in France – when he managed to find a moment to talk to Rhythm Passport about the latest of his many…
Artists: Seckou Keita
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