From Yoruba to Cuba

>> The Nuits d'Afrique festival returns with some outstanding shows

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

With a decade and a half to their credit, it's no surprise that the folks behind the Nuits d'Afrique festival, running this year from July 12 to 22 (with a couple of sweet lead-up gigs to boot--read on), have it down to a science. A celebration of the music and cultures of Africa and her diaspora, the festival spotlights artists from four continents and a vast time frame--compare the ancient traditions of the Aka Pygmy ensemble Nzamba Léla to the ultra-contemporary world-pop of superstar Youssou N'dour. Here's a few essentials to note on your calendar.



Omar Sosa: Here's where the Afro-Latin jazz hybrid gets reassembled in a very different and personal way. Although now based in Oakland, California, Sosa is a Cubano steeped in the Yoruba faith and inspired by countryman Ruben Gonzales and America's Thelonious Monk. A virtuoso pianist, he taps not only Cuban rumba and yanqui jazz but digs deeper into his African heritage. At Kola Note on Monday, July 9, 8:30pm, $20.

Amampondo: This is one that is simply not to be missed. With two decades (and an album with Desmond Tutu!) behind them, this collective of South African bushmen, whose bloodlines go straight back to the proud Mpondo tribe, are a leading light of African music and culture south of the equator. Expect fearsome drum thunder, spectacular trad tribal gear, wild makeup, furious dancing and--total bonus--amazing acrobatics. At Kola Note on Tuesday, July 10, 8:30pm, $20.

Lágbájá: This is actually the official opening night show, and a good call at that. Hailing from Nigeria, whence came Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade, the celebrated Lágbájá sits somewhere between the two. Like Fela, he's politically outspoken and, like Sunny, he paints in bright colours--highlife and juju meet modern funkiness. Oh, and the masked-marvel thing is no gimmick. It's rooted in Yoruba tradition and it obliges the audience to focus on the message, not the messenger. At the Spectrum on Thursday, July 12, 8:30pm, $25.

Salaam: What nails this multinational quintet down is the wicked skill displayed by Moroccan member Nazir, whose instrument of choice is the haghouj. Predecessor of the modern bass guitar, this millennium-old device bears a name that translates to "kick 'em in the ass so they get up and dance." More or less. For real! That's the idea here, as Nazir, his Trinidadian drummer and three québécois musicians nod to gnaoua as well as music from Mali, Ghana, Senegal and Guinea. At Balattou on Thursday, July 12, 10pm, $10.

Nzamba Léla: Straight outta the steamy rainforest comes this 15-strong Pygmy group. No, they will not be picking off monkeys in the light rigging with blowgun darts. What they will do is display the incredible polyphonic vocal harmonies of the Aka culture, one of the most ancient on the planet, as well as some of the disposable, organic instruments they use. Go, you'll learn something. At Kola Note on Sunday, July 15, 8:30pm, $20.

Les Têtes Brùlées: It's no surprise that Têtes Brùlées founder Jean-Marie Ahanda has background in painting--the first thing one remarks about this ferocious Cameroonian band is their wild look. Then you hear their bikutsi sound, a super-charged shake-up of African rhythms and rock energy where balafons duel with electric guitars, pierced by Ahanda's superb trumpet playing, and dammit, you're sold. Prep yourself by renting a copy of Claire Denis' doc on the band, Man No Run, and discover one of the edgiest things going in Africa today. At Kola Note on Monday, July 16, 8:30pm, $20.

Boubacar Traoré: Here's where the blues come home to roost. Since the '60s, "Kar Kar" Traoré has been a shining star in his native Mali for his exquisitely pained and politicized odes. But in true blues tradition, even as his hit "Mali Twist" was shaking the nation, he was piss broke. These days he's faring better, having worked with Baaba Maal and Ali Farka Touré, themselves Afro-bluesmen of the highest order. If anything, they owe their inspiration to Kar Kar. At Balattou on Wednesday, July 18, 9:30pm, $15.

Youssou N'dour: Out comes the heavy artillery. Arguably the best-known African musician in the world, Senegal's N'dour has lent his heartbreaking voice to efforts with Peter Gabriel, Sting and Neneh Cherry (for the smash hit "Seven Seconds") as well as Africa's own grand dame Miriam Makeba and Afro-funky uncle Manu Dibango. His own work, as displayed on his latest release Joko, is a marvellous fusion of sleek, adult Euro-pop and unshakable African beauty.

At Metropolis on Friday, July 20, 8:30pm, $35.