Jump to content
Jambands.ca

Nov. 17 NuJazz Fest Toubab Krewe : Toronto

Jay Funk Dawg

By Jay Funk Dawg
in Soundboard

 Share

Recommended Posts

Jay Funk Dawg Contributor

Jay Funk Dawg

Posted
Posted (edited)

tk_posterFINAL.jpg

This one's been a long time in the making, and we're stoked to get the 4th Annual Nujazz Festival rolling!

"...[Toubab Krewe] has essentially created the intersection of West African traditional music and American rock." ~ Billboard Magazine

Nufunk.ca & THE 4th annual NUJAZZ FESTIVAL

... in association with Small World Music and Cadence Music & Marketing

presents

TOUBAB KREWE

(Asheville, North Carolina)

Latest album TK2 now available on Nat Geo Music

with lightsweetcrude

& DJ medicineman (CIUT 89.5 FM)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17th

REVIVAL BAR

783 College St. / http:/www.revivalbar.com

$15 advance at ticketweb.ca, Soundscapes (572 College St.),

Rotate This (801 Queen St. W.) & Play de Record (357A Yonge St.)

Online tickets => http://tktwb.tw/nU2lSG

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=230143253702593

Artist Links:

http://www.toubabkrewe.com/

http://www.lightsweetcrude.ca/

http://www.myspace.com/medicinemanradio

--

"deep, Malian desert blues and electric, iconoclastic rock 'n' roll bombast." ~ Relix Magazine

"a futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy." ~ The Village Voice (NYC)

"Their music avoids cliché with authentic extrapolations of traditional Manding beats, percussion, and a jam-band flare." ~ The New Yorker

Some music cannot be found on a map or within iTunes categories. Some music is so original it seems snatched from the great, invisible substrata that runs below all human activity, a sound aching to be born without a flag or fixed allegiance – free, questing, overflowing with immediate, tangible life. This is the music of Toubab Krewe, the vibrant Asheville, NC-based instrumental powerhouse that creates a sonic Pangaea that lustily swirls together rock, African traditions, jam sensibilities, international folk strains and more. While nearly impossible to put into any box, it takes only a few moments to realize in a very palpable way that one is face-to-face with a true original who recognizes no borders in a march towards a muscular, original, globally switched-on sound.

Formed in 2005, Toubab Krewe has tenaciously honed their craft through relentless touring and a fierce dedication to carving out something they can truly call their own. The fruits of this hard work can be heard on their scintillating new long-player, TK2, released on Nat Geo Music. What Justin Perkins (Kora, Kamelngoni, guitar, percussion), Teal Brown (drums, congas), Drew Heller (guitar, piano, fiddle), David Pransky (bass, guitar), and Luke Quaranta (Djembe, percussion) have wrought on TK2 reflects the many miles and musical journeys that have transpired since their studio debut.

"It's five years later since our last studio album, and we've been doing almost nothing but playing together," says Drew Heller. "We've had a lot of time to further our musical relationships. I feel like this album was recorded at a really perfect time. The last track on the new album is an improvisation that was the very first sounds captured, and other things came out of that initial rush."

This process of recording in the spirit and sifting for gold afterwards mirrors the Beastie Boys approach during the creative peak that produced Check Your Head and The In Sound From Way Out! Toubab Krewe exhibits a similar take-no-prisoners singularity in their work.

This is a band that actively draws inspiration from whatever source floats into their purview, something they've exhibited in their half decade of heavy gigging, including regular appearances at major U.S. festivals like Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Rothbury and Wakarusa, and abroad at such legendary gatherings as Festival In The Desert in Mali. Their globe-hopping propensity has made them an emerging headliner at their hometown's famous Orange Peel and a familiar face as similar venues throughout the country. Whether on their own or collaborating with luminaries like the Last Poets' Umar Bin Hassan or Uncle Earl's Rayna Gellert, Toubab Krewe has already earned the attention and respect of a broad musical community.

Toubab carries echoes of African greats like Ali Farka Toure, Orchestra Baobab and Salif Keita, no doubt picked up during the group's many visits to the Mother Continent to study and live in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali. What differentiates Toubab Krewe from other Statesiders inspired by African music is how they innovate on what they've learned, not simply recreating tradition but carving out a new trail that honors the African originators they admire by making something alive and contemporary that moves the line forward, something that's easy to pick up on with TK2.

"We had a month and a half in the studio, and we were able to relax and play, almost a smudging process getting the energy in the right place," says Heller. "The time we had to record this album was conducive to not worrying about anything and just having fun, playing and getting into the creative process."

From the ragtime piano tinged opener "Mariama" to the percussion fueled, slide guitar glide of "Gine Fare" to the subtle, inviting African echoes of "Konkoba" to the hypnotic, psychedelic slow burn of "Holy Grail," TK2 reveals Toubab Krewe to be rare innovators in a modern age often too ready to settle for more of what's been. Toubab Krewe is happily an exception to this rule, and those willing to take the journey with them are in for one hell of a cool, exciting ride.

--

lightsweetcrude

Ancient Fuel -> Modern Engineâ„¢

The ragas of North India are the musical 'fossil fuel' for this cutting edge Toronto-based instrumental project. This ancient fuel has been injected into the modern 'engine' of psychedelic laptop rock, and the group's extended improvisations and ambient excursions are constantly pushing the music's miles-per-gallon potential. Toronto is certainly one of the few cities from which a cutting-edge project like lightsweetcrude could emerge. This blend of Indian Classical music with modern sounds and production certainly evokes the experimental spirit of '60s and '70s psychedelic culture, as do the oil-based liquid light projections that frame the band's performance.

--

medicineman (CIUT 89.5 FM)

Canada's most highly respected global fusion tastemaker and DJ, Richard ‘Medicineman’ Martin will spin you around the world with a mix of global groove, world beat and ethno electro hits! Martin’s radio show, No Man’s Land, on CIUT 89.5 FM, is considered to be one of the best programs of its kind in the country, and has been instrumental in broadening the world music landscape for the past 10 years. As a dance DJ, medicineman’s unique cross-cultural mixology has earned a loyal throng of fans who crave a connection between primitive rhythms and progressive beats. His DJ sets flow seamlessly from Indo-Arabic beats to Afro-Latin grooves, always challenging musical genres and boundaries. He has produced shows and played DJ sets with dozens of major international artists and producers, including Femi Kuti, Baaba Maal, Tinariwen, Rachid Taha, Talvin Singh, Balkan Beat Box, Cheb i Sabbah and Bajofondo.

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...