E N T E R T A I N M E N T
7
Volume 28#29 Š 2014 Echo Publications Pty Ltd
P : 02 6684 1777 F : 02 6684 1719 adcopy@echo.net.au Editor : Mandy Nolan gigs@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au
A L L
DEC 31 – JAN 7
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..... p2
...... SIC ...
MU
CULTURE .......... p23
STARS................ p22 GIG GUIDE ...... p25
CINEMA
S ......... p
24
GOOD TASTE ... p27
Y O U R
C O A S T A L
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
GAMBIAN MUSICIANS YUSUPHA NGUM (VOCALS), AMADOU SUSO (KORA) AND AUSTRALIAN GUITARIST STEVE BERRY ARE BREAKING BOUNDARIES AND CAPTURING HEARTS AND MINDS WITH THEIR GLOBESPANNING FUSION OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL BACKGROUNDS AND INFLUENCES. TOGETHER WITH A RARE APPEARANCE BY LOCAL FAVOURITES THE DURGA BABIES, JAALEEKAAY WILL BE PERFORMING THEIR LAST LOCAL SHOW AT THE BANGALOW BOWLING CLUB ON SATURDAY. SEVEN SPOKE WITH STEVE BERRY ABOUT THIS VERY SPECIAL SHOW: Can you tell me a little about your work with Jaaleekaay and how you came to be playing with them? For me Jaaleekaay is first of all a wonderful opportunity to play with two incredible musicians and experience the joy of being in the middle of the music when it’s at such an inspiring level. Yusupha and Amadou are truly masters of their craft, and sharing the stage and studio with musicians like that is one of those things I always dream of. Yet beyond that Jaaleekaay also answers a calling I’ve had to use music as a vehicle to connect with communities far removed from my own, and use those connections to help other people realise some of their own dreams. It happened that way with Music Outback, where music helped create some wonderful experiences for Indigenous communities and kids in remote Australia, and when I travelled to Gambia last February the same sort of thing seemed to flow naturally and happen there. I had been invited to visit Gambia by an Australian-based Gambian percussionist named King Marong, who had been working with Music Outback over here, so I stayed with King in his compound in Gambia and through him I met a lot of great musicians. My guitar was always with me, and only a few days before I was leaving Gambia I met Amadou at a rehearsal for a traditional concert where he was playing Kora – which is the African harp. It took less than a minute of jamming with him for us both to know there was something special there, so he introduced me to Yusupha and together we all recorded a track that I was able to use to get some festivals interested in us over here. What about the players‌ where are they from? How are they finding playing in Australia? Yusupha and Amadou are both from The Gambia, which geographically is a tiny west-African country but one with a huge history. The country is basically a fence around the Gambia River on the western tip of the continent, and was one of the main African ports for the British slave trade. Kunta Kinte, known from Alex Haley’s book and series Roots, was from The Gambia, and the British slave forts are still there – though I couldn’t bring myself to visit them. So there’s a dark
Gambia comes to you history to the country but the culture and spirit of the place and people is incredible. Australia is a special place too, but very different, and it’s amazing to see how comfortable Yusupha and Amadou are being here. When the music is really happening I think the cultural boundaries and differences dissolve away. We had some great shows at the Mullum Music Fest and Uplift, so through those experiences the fellas experience a real connection with the people here, and that helps them feel at home in a way. What do the musicians plan to take back to Gambia? I’m hoping some money! That’s partly a joke, but it’s true that a big purpose of this tour is to provide an opportunity to connect these guys with western economies for the benefit of what are very economically disadvantaged communities back home. There would be a lot of community expectation that they come back with an increased capacity to contribute there, so the pressure is on! Beyond that though, we’re all hoping this tour is just the start of a bigger story for Jaaleekaay. For me, developing a sustainable international career for these guys to return home with would be a big and important achievement. Is community consciousness, and a sense of doing something to better a whole community
rather than just an individual, a part of life in Gambia? Community life in Gambia is rock solid, and that strikes you the instant you land in it. Family compounds are the norm – large blocks of land with extended families sharing the space – and they have big families! In the sense of how life is structured there, and how family relationships are defined, we could certainly take a leaf out of their book. There’s an underlying commitment to look after your brethren, and just like Aboriginal Australia there’s a kinship system that keeps people connected at a profound and practical level. As for individual aspirations, those are often tied in with a desire to increase the capacity to contribute to community. Yusupha and Amadou share a vision of music being a vehicle for community betterment, and they’re helping me form links with Gambian schools and other groups over there so we can raise funds for badly needed support while Jaaleekaay is touring. How have you both learnt from each other? I’m learning heaps – about music and culture on both micro and macro levels. Experiencing the Gambian perspective on families has been eye opening and heart warming. I have an instant extended family having made these friendships, and it’s made me think a lot about how much more time I could spend
coming soon NEW YEAR’S EVE
Wed 1 GARRETT KATO Thu 2 THE BADLANDS Fri 3 BOOTLEG RASCAL & OCEAN ALLEY ->ĂŒĂŠ{ HALF MOON RUN & TIGERTOWN -Ă•Â˜ĂŠx THE FIRE TREE ÂœÂ˜ĂŠĂˆ DAN HANNAFORD Tue 7 MARSHALL North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
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PILOTS WAXHEAD THE LOVELY DAYS THE SINGLE FINS DJ CHRIS BRADLEY
10 JAN KINGSWOOD & CALLING ALL CARS 11 JAN MAT MCHUGH & THE SEPERATISTA SOUND SYSTEM 12 JAN JIMEOIN ÂŁĂˆĂŠ BUSBY MAROU Ă“{ĂŠ KIM CHURCHILL Ă“xĂŠ LYALL MOLONEY 13 MAR JON CLEARLY ÂŁ{ĂŠEÂŁxĂŠ , SUNNYBOYS 21 MAR BILLY BRAGG
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The Byron Shire Echo December 31, 2013 19