- Title: USA: WORLD MUSIC FANS ATTEND SIXTH ANNUAL AFRICA FETE IN NEW YORK
- Date: 18th August 1999
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAJ MAHAL saying. "There's not a day that has gone by since I've been five years old that I haven't thought about Africa, not a day. You know and what was out there and why am I here and what's coming here and what are the currents and little bit by little bit I've gotten closer to the ones that really have to do with why I play guitar."
- Embargoed: 2nd September 1999 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA1BGDY2D6WXHE9AEFFQHX034KB
- Story Text: World music fans got a treat this weekend when the sixth annual Africa Fete returned to New York City's Central park as part of their SummerStage festival.
The rhythms and sounds of African music filled New York's Central Park on Saturday (August 14) as this year's Africa Fete rolled into town.
This year's concert featured dynamic performances by Senegalese superstar, Baaba Maal, American blues great Taj Mahal and Zimbabwean legend, Oliver Mutukudzi.
Mutukudzi has put out 35 albums in his homeland of Zimbawae but this marks his first tour of the United States.
In his homeland he has created a type of music that is named after him, "When I do my music I sort of fuse different types of Zimbabwan music into it and my fans couldn't place what type of music it was, so they decide to call it "Tuku Music"
and for quite a while when they come to my gig they just say we're going for Tuku music."
Taj Mahal is well known in blues circles in the United States but this summer he is touring with a group of Mali musicians blending his down home American blues with up tempo African rhythm.An album featuring Toumani Diabate, a Malian string virtuoso will be released later this summer.Diabate is slated to join Africa Fete '99 but has yet to leave Mali to join the tour.
Baaba Maal is one of Senegal's most powerful singers and band leaders.He brought the crowd to its feet with an electric blend of Senegalse traditional music and Fula pop fusions.
Maal beleives that his role as a musician is much more than just performing, "The musicians are a reference in the African society and for me this is the role of music also to enjoy to be entertainers to enjoy people but at the same to make them think about life about their life about the life of everyone."
Baaba Maal closed Africa Fete '99 with a stunning performance that included well choreographed dance numbers, a wide array of drummers and some acoustic Senegalese songs.
New York is the third stop on 19 city tour of the United States that includes, Los Angeles, Washington D.C.and San Francisco.Africa Fete was started six years by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records to introduce American audiences to the exciting Afro-pop music that was coming out of Paris. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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