Sebunjo, Ismaël Lo make the case for good African music
There were a number of magical moments at the World Music showcase by Joel Sebunjo and Ismaël Lo in Kampala in late January. One was watching Sebunjo play the opening kora-solo to ‘Nakato’. Many of the Ugandans in the crowd knew the words and sang along while dancing in front of the stage. Another one was hearing Ismaël Lo sing ‘Tajabone’, alone on stage with his guitar. Three minutes of bliss, at times playing both guitar and harmonica together. The message of this music was freedom, peace and love.
To ‘love Africa’ and to ‘be African’ were two important lessons from watching the two musicians perform. Their introspective performances lifted the concert, at times showing lustrous singing in Bambara, Luganda or Mande, hence wrapping the audience in rare traditional forms of music and culture. Their delivery conveyed a personal but profound message for Africa and the world. It proved their music will live on.
Ismaël Lo was believable when he said: “My real dream is to speak all African languages... Africa is everywhere I go. (Africa) is my father, my mother, my brother ...”
World Music in Kampala
There is very little music out there with the kind of edge that Ismaël Lo and Joel Sebunjo brought to their concert.
The seeds of this music were sown earlier in the century with the radio of the 1950’s playing Cuban music in Kinshasa, which touched and inspired a certain Franco Makiadi, a guitar-virtu oso that went on to define the modern Congolese sound, Soukous.
His singing with profound emotion in Lingala, again, introspective about his society paved way for a new voice - one that cared for the people and their culture. On reaching Senegal and Gambia, which already had a well developed music scene, this voice reminded the Senegalese musicians of their own griot and kora traditions.
This Cuban-influenced Congolese fusion made a powerful impact on the West African music scene, that later produced the iconic World Music carried by masters like Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré and Cesaria Evora.
Joel Sebunjo’s solos on the kora borrow from this history. He also borrows the Mande language in which he sings, but most importantly, his band Sundiata consists of three virtuosic Congolese musicians on bass, drums and notably electric guitar. In fact, his guitarist is perhaps a musical cousin to Franco!
Ismaël Lo too is part of that generation and went on to tour the world. He even wrote a song for the 1999 Spanish blockbuster film Todo Sobre Mi Madre - “Tajabone” - which he performed in Kampala to a swooning audience.
The World Music Audience
Ismaël Lo & Joel Sebunjo showed a strong feeling and articulation of African music at their concert. The honesty of their music is universal. So much that people whether from Europe, Asia or Uganda can appreciate their music. Yes, there was a fair share of white members in the audience, but the quality of the music was indisputable, even to the black audience.
When Ismaël Lo played a Senegalese rhythm-driven song, he shouted out: “Anyone from Senegal?” In launching into an almost dizzying groove, the white audience members jumped out from their seats and ran to the side aisles to dance. It seemed as if they were the ones from Senegal. Geographically, Europe might be closer to Senegal, but musically and culturally speaking, we in Uganda are much closer.
The future of African music
“We have to believe in the future of African music,” Ismaël Lo says.Music must be relatable. Music must carry with it some kind of identity. It must reflect, like I have mentioned earlier, not just the history of African music or elements of African music, but the very history of a people and their culture. One must be able to feel the spirit of a people through music. Ismaël Lo believes that ‘African music’ as a whole has a future waiting to be realised.
A case for good African music
In my mind, the society needs good music. Just like we need good roads, good schools, and certainly enough electricity. Good African music is one of those privileges that will allow our community to grow. It will grow our culture and our sense of identity. Cultural education is most effective through music; this is how small children learn how to speak through singing. In Mande culture, music is an effective peacemaking tool that has worked for centuries settling disputes between tribes. It is also how a history of an African people is preserved, through singing the names of ancestors and telling their stories.
Perhaps, this is a kind of patriotism that has not been addressed. What if the whole of Africa was a little heartbroken when Ghana lost the World Cup in South Africa? What if several children around the continent hoped that Ghana would win, and in the end were disappointed to lose; there is something about that picture of millions of Africans rooting for an African team to win the World Cup. This collective feeling is the exact message of world music; which is hope, love and freedom. It makes the world music musicians unique, because within it is something so relatable, even on the basic human level. And this is what makes Ismaël Lo and Joel Sebunjo such unique world music musicians, and it is ultimately what brings them to an international audience.
An extended version of this Music review has been published online at STARTJOURNAL.ORG.
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suave como
el lento pasar
de la noche
encantada.
Francesco Sinibaldi