African Music Concerts Reviews for July 2006

Palm Pictures released this two disc multi-media set last year. The motivation was the re-christening of Fela's Africa Shrine in Lagos Nigeria. His son Femi has put together a new building, staff and community support to rekindle the love for music with a message. He truly is a Positive Force for Nigeria and its people. He lives his beliefs by performing for the fans every Sunday.

The main disc is a DVD movie of live concert footage at the new shrine. It also includes short interviews with Femi and patrons of the facility. The movie itself has a raw feel to it that helps put the viewer in the rough and tumble audiences of Lagos. They love their music passionately, and they are willing to let everyone around them know it.

The concert footage captures a Femi show well. It includes the dancers and other musicians, always showing them in the context of the audience. All the music is about the need to fight corruption, to hold the government accountable and to celebrate the power of the individual peoples.

The second disc is a CD containing the live concert tracks, plus Shotan which is featured in a music video that was first released on this pressing and a special performance of Water no get enemy. This is a must buy for the AfroBeat aficionado.

Whereas Live at the Shrine focuses on the music, the building and the community, Rize paints an intimate portrait of individuals and their drives and desires. It chronicles the development of a new dance style called "Krump" which arose in South Central Los Angeles. The creativity of a single individual brought about this movement. He started as a clown who showed up for free and created street parties playing music from his car and dancing in his own style.

Over time, others imitated and joined him until they developed a series of clown crews who competed for dancing honors. The hobby kept quite a few kids away from drugs and gangs by provided an alternative pastime.

The dancing is something to see. It is a high-speed energetic series of moves similar to a martial art. Portions of the film juxtapose the young kids dancing in the streets of LA with tribal dancers in Africa. The similarities are there even though they didn't have the background or influence to know to incorporate African dance. Even the clown makeup mirrors the facial painting of some African tribal dancing.

This is an uplifting movie even though it may not appear so on the surface. It depicts the benefits of creativity and pursuing one's passions. It also shows individual morality and depth of character. And those kids can move!

Ashley Maher is a local musician who has just released her fourth album. Her latest, much like her others, consists of "World Music". It takes influences from around the world and melds them with her story-telling female voice. Pop ballad meets jazz with an African backing.

The African influence on this CD comes by way of her band and her own interest in African music. Andre Manga is the producer and bass player, while Aziz Faye weighs in on percussion. Other members come from South America and the US. Some songs rock with a real African feel and others are calmer and more typically melodic.

Ashley has been performing around town lately, but the big show will be when she opens for Salif Keita at the Santa Monica Pier in August. Expect her best live show with a full ensemble including West African dancers.