- Title: IVORY COAST: JAZZ BAND AWANA PERFORM IN THE IVORY COAST'S JAZZ FESTIVAL
- Date: 1st June 2001
- Summary: VARIOUS, BAND IN RECORDING STUDIO VARIOUS OF MANU YODAN PLAYING SAXOPHONE (4 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 16th June 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Entertainment,General
- Reuters ID: LVA7BOP48G9NYH1TEYW5O64BL1T
- Story Text: They're called Awana and they're one of the most celebrated groups on the Ivory Coast. Despite a difficult start and some ups and downs, the group reformed after seven years and met with unprecedented success. Only recently, they played to a packed house at one of the Ivory Coast's jazz festivals. Reuters was there.
A bit of jazz, a bit of funk, some African rhythms mixed in for good measure..
This is Awana, one of the most celebrated groups in Ivory Coast. Defining their style isn't easy.
This is 'Tchapou Tchapette'. Tchapou Tchapette means nothing in any language. But to the members of Awana it means everything - their own particular style.
Awana was formed eight years ago by a group of friends. When they started there was no market for their type of music. 'Zouglou', 'Polie' and Alpha Blondy's reggae were in fashion. So Awana had to create an audience for its music even as it was creating its own style.
And it wasn't easy. After seven years together all but one of the eight musicians left Ivory Coast to seek fame and fortune in Europe or America. Manu Yodan was the only one left. He more or less had to start again from scratch.
He says "Each time I have to do a concert these days they are really, really in my heart. I'm always thinking about them. That's normal. We spent so many years together, nearly seven years together. It's not easy to forget them, no I couldn't forget them."
After starting from scratch the band has struck it lucky. They headlined at a recent jazz festival in Ivory Coast, playing to a packed house.
There's something in the wild mix of rhythms and the free-spirited sax solos that makes many Ivorians think of Awana as a band for elitists. Yet their type of music stretches the mind.
They've also just brought out a third album: Pure ecstasy. It's six years since they first went into the recording studio . The philosophy and the musical vision hasn't changed. Integral to that vision is Pan-Africanism.
With a percussionist from Senegal and an alto-sax from Cameroon, guitarists from Ivory Coast and keyboards from Congo, Brazzaville - how could it be otherwise? Says John Yalley "Awana is a group that lives in Africa, they are looking for their artistic voice. I think that they have found what they need and in just a few years they are going to get better. And I predict that they could really explode."
Outside the band all of the musicians pursue lives in one way or another touched by music. The band's dreams - and its melodies - follow them everywhere. Bakara, the pianist and Don Mike, the drummer play in a nightclub to earn extra money.
Manu uses time playing an evening spot in an Abidjan hotel to practice techniques that he'll apply when the band next gets together for a rehearsal. Even here the band's tunes are never far away. His dream is to imitate one of West Africa's greats.
He says "It's Manu Dibango I love best. I can't escape that. It's him that we wanted to play and we said that one day we would play like him. There are many greats but my favourite is Manu Dibango."
And for singer Akezo the songs that he brought from the far west of Ivory Coast to the capital are never out of his head. Back then he drew crowds with his acappela . - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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