Batuki Music Society created the concept of “Africa Meets First Nations” to connect African musicians and First Nations groups, especially areas which have a strong heritage of African culture. This second edition of the project features the music of Ecuador in South America. Ecuadorian music is greatly influenced by African rhythms, Spanish, traditional Andean and indigenous music. Just as in Africa, traditional music plays a large role in Ecuadorian ceremonies such as; funerals, weddings, harvests, etc., this is particularly prevalent in the province of Esmeraldas located on the northern coast of the Pacific and el Valle del Chota in the northern Andes of Imbabura.
Dave West known as the Ecuadorian Blues Man is a versatile musician who plays a variety of stringed instruments including guitar, fretless guitar, nylon string Tumak harp-guitar, mishki-mandolin and fretless Tumak harp guitar with arco. His musical styles include elements of flamenco, jazz, soukous, Ecuadorian San Juanito, Andarele, Bomba, Delta and Detroit blues. Dave West has played alongside music and jazz luminaries such as; Sonny Bradshaw and Myrna Hague, Pee-Wee Ellis, Salome Bay, Jackie Richardson, Toronto to Jamaica, just to name a few. He has also opened for Jamaica’s reggae great Burning Spear, Toumani Diabaté, Los Van Van, and others. Dave West’s latest cd entitled ‘Choclo y la Orgía Cósmica, is also the group’s name, a tribute to his Ecuadorian roots.
This performance will feature Dave West’s Ecuadorian rhythms that include Afro, Indigenous, and Mestizo and traditional sounds from the Sudan and Ghana. His band mates are professional musicians that hail from Ghana, Sudan, Germany, Uganda and Ecuador. Waleed Abdulhamid, a multi-instrumentalist who plays Afro Jazz, funk and traditional African music will complement the band by playing the marimba, a traditional African instrument brought by the slaves to Ecuador which has not changed much. The marimba is not just a link between these two cultures but a continuation of the rich African heritage which has taken hold in the province of Esmeraldas and Santo Domingo de los Tsachila. Walter Maclean who excels in several percussion instruments will provide the rhythms of the West African coast, Ian De Souza from Uganda on bass, Mauricio Estevez from Ecuador on guitar, kena and vocals and Emily Adler of Toronto on vocals. The performances will also include poet and playwright Kwame Stephens, choreographer Saba Alemayehu of Jaivah and Arabesque Dance Company.
This is a one time concert in the series “Africa Meets First Nations” please visit www.myspace.com/batukimusic or www.facebook.com/batukimusicsociety for upcoming events.
Date: Sunday December 6, 2009.
Venue: Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West
Dinner reservations for guaranteed seating: 416 588 0307.
Time: Doors 7 pm. Show 8 pm.
Tickets: $15
Purchase: Soundscapes (572 College Street), African Drums & Art Crafts (618 Dundas Street West), New Bilan Restaurant (183 Dundas Street East).
Info: batukimusic@yahoo.com, www.batukimusic.ca, www.davewestmusic.com, www.lula.ca
Batuki Music Society gratefully acknowledges the support of Ontario Arts Council and CCI.
