| Give
the
drummer some
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Shine showcases African drumming and live bands while exploring the
history of reggae
 by
SCOTT
C
With the autumn months slowly creeping
up on us, and the city full of students once again, it looks like a
whole new crop of shows are right around the corner. One of the many
happenings that you can look forward to this month is a one-off night
of art, music, food and social awareness called Shine. Produced by a
non-profit organization called Calabash Productions, Shine is an evening
dedicated to shedding light on the power and potential of art as a tool
for communication and positive change. Celebrating the spirit and origins
of reggae music, the night travels from live, drum-based African music
right through to the dub and dancehall end of things. The Mirror spoke
to organizer Pohanna Feinberg over the phone.
Mirror: What are the other
organizations that are involved in the show you’re going to be
putting on?
Pohanna Feinberg: As well as the various artists that
are performing that night, we have invited GRILA, Group for Research
and Initiative for the Liberation of Africa, and the Alternative Bookshop
to participate in the event. They’ll be there to educate the public
about what they do, and we felt that with the live performances, visuals
and food, this kind of education would be effective.
M: What are some of the
campaigns that GRILA are in the midst of?
PF: They’re trying to create self-sustaining
development in Africa from the ground up. There are still people in
Africa dealing with neo-colonial issues, and they’d like to see
people move through that. They have a campaign called Breaking the Cycle
of Impunity, where they’re trying to bring justice to the assassins
of Thomas Sankara, the democratic leader of Burkina Faso. They also
work with improving the lives of African women through education.
M: I notice you have the
Ark of Infinity and Kali coming down to do their respective reggae interpretations,
but how did you hook up with African drummer Ahmadou Ngom?
PF: Ahmadou actually came to the library where I work
and explained to the kids about the use of percussion for communication
and storytelling, and how the tonalities of the drum are in itself a
language. He specializes in West African percussion and will be playing
with a few friends of his. He plays the sabar, tama and djembe, and
plans to mix it up with some Haitian drumming.
M: Nice to see you’ve
got some ladies on the bill playing reggae.
PF: It still is and always will be a music of resistance,
creativity and struggle, so we decided to get Kani, J.D. and Ms. B to
spin records over the course of the evening. These three women are very
strong, and know their music inside out, so it should be a great night.
M: Somebody also mentioned
food, right?
PF: Yes. West Indian cuisine from the Corridor Restaurant.
Nothing like some patties, roti and ginger beer to round out a good
night. :
At la Sala Rossa tonight, Thursday,
Sept. 19, 9pm, $10
>>
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