[Leica] SESO: AfroPop in Virginia

[profmason at yahoo.com (John Mason)]

Luggers, a series (every so often).

Last week, the Univ of Virginia hosted a festival of
African popular music.  I was there, M2 and Nikon in
hand, to shoot for the university's music department
and myself.

Featured artists included Abdoulaye Diabate, from
Mali:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810342>

On Saturday evening, he performed with the Free Bridge
Quintet, the university?s faculty jazz ensemble.

Despite comining from distinct performance traditions,
at an afternoon rehearsal, the musicians soon
discovered musical language:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810343>

The rehearsal went so well, that I wondered if the
musicians would have anything left for the evening?s
concert:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810344>

Diabate was on fire:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810346>

I needn't have worried about the energy and virtuosity
that would be on display that night:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810348>
<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810356>

And (in homage to Roy DeCarava):

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810351>

Diabate and his band also performed outdoors on Sunday
afternoon.  Corey Harris opened:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810359>
<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810363>

Followed by Diabate's group.  Despite have
participated in a workshop, a rehearsal, and a concert
on the previous two days, it was another stunning
performance:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810371>
<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810374>

The mood was so infectious that even university
professors got into the act.

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810375>

(I suppose that I should mention that Heather is an
ethnomusicologist and a fine performer in her own
right.)

Other featured artists included Thomas Mapfumo, from
Zimbabwe.  Once a staunch opponent of colonialism and
white supremacy in what was then Rhodesia, he is now a
critic of Robert Mugabe?s regime:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810337>

No longer young, he conserves his energy on stage, the
quiet eye of a hurricane of music and dance:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810338>
<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810340>

Kanda Bongo Man, the soukous king from the Congo, was
also on hand:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810377>

Not only did he get the audience up out of their
seats, he got them on stage with the band, as well.

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810381>

Which gave me a chance to join them with my M2:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810382>

A good time, to say the least, was had by all:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810384>

The only quiet time that I had over the course of the
festival were the few hours that I spent with the
Senegalese artist Bara Diakhane, in his makeshift
studio:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810330>

He was in Charlottesville to create an instillation
for the festival.  The light in the room, once a
blackbox theater, was so awful that it was good:

<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810333>
<http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2810335>

Thanks for looking.  --John



=====
J Mason
Charlottesville, Virginia
>>New! Democracy of Speed, a Photo Documentary Project:
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~ds8s/john-m/john-m.html


                
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