At eight o’clock on Saturday night, the SAC was relatively empty but for the stage in the corner, so crowded with instruments that one was left wondering how large of a band this was going to be. Jumbled together on the stage were approximately eleven bongo drums of various shapes and sizes, one standard drum set with snares, cymbals, two guitars, a huge, polished bass resting in the corner, and various smaller percussion instruments. The audience settled down on the couches and chairs while they waited for the musicians to arrive, hoping the stage would be big enough to fit all of them.
But, as it turned out, there were only four members of the band Jabali Afrika, and they arrived not long after eight, silently taking their places behind their drum sets and strapping on their guitars. Thatcher Mweu ’11 introduced them briefly. There was a moment of silence. Then the man behind the drum set, Joseck Asikoye, spoke. “We call this percussion discussion,” he intoned, and then, with a smile and a nod, the band was off and playing. Their first tune was relaxed and slow, a perfect opener. In between long interludes of beautiful guitar playing and steady pounding on the drums, all four men would take turns singing in their traditional Kenyan dialect.
The music flowed from one style to another with ease, switching from more traditional melodies to elaborate, jazzy beats. The lack of a clear leader in the band was surprisingly refreshing, as no instrument overpowered another. Whereas contemporary music in America seems to be based on a guitar solo or stud lead singer, Jabali Afrika’s style was different. Their skill as individual musicians was still apparent, but together, they created a unique sound that no single person could have achieved.
What made the night worthwhile in the minds of those who attended was the interaction the band had with the audience. By the third song, one of the men had left his post behind the bongo drums and was teaching dance steps to the students who had ventured up onto the stage. By the fifth song, he was giving drumming lessons. By the end of the concert, literally every one of the musicians were handing their guitars and marimbas and drums to the audience, teaching them riffs and beats. Participants laughed nervously at first, sure that their attempts would end in disaster. But somehow, miraculously, the song went on.
Finally, the concert came to an end, leaving the amazed audience wanting more. “It was so much more than I expected,” said Cheyenne Wise, class of 2009. “It was like they were people, not [just] musicians.”
But musicians they definitely are. Made up of Joseck, his brother Justo, and the other band members, Dumisizwe and Tanash, Jabali Afrika has had a long history. They started in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the Kenyan National Theater, before going solo and touring the world. They are currently based in Baltimore and have toured America numerous times. They have even appeared on the popular children’s show “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”.
Director of Student activities Chris Bielizina is disappointed that more Choate students did not attend the show. “In Kenya, it’s almost impossible to get tickets to see these guys,” he said in a brief interview. “They’re obviously dripping with talent.”
Joseck, however, says he and the rest of Jabali Afrika are looking forward to returning to Choate at some later date. “Call us, we’ll back in a minute,” he happily told the audience members at the conclusion of the show.
News Reporter Pelletier breaks in down with Jabali Afrika. PHOTO/Nick Panzica ‘09
