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T.O. Music Pix Newsletter #40: July 12/07
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Note:
Time demands will restrict my posting of events, news, photos etc. this month, so this issue will serve as a notice of a few July highlights:

In this issue:

1. Afrofest 2007: Thanks!
2. Recent photos: Seun, Mavis & Toumani
3. Upcoming: two hot shows; Billy Joe Shaver; World Rhythms & more

 

1. AFROFEST 2007

Last weekend was a fabulous time spent in Queen's Park. Congratulations and thanks to the board and volunteers of Music Africa for their amazing work on putting on an incredibly complex and successful festival. Afrofest is one of the things that make Toronto a great place to live.

Photos will be posted as time permits...

 

2. RECENT PHOTOS:
My photos from a few recent & excellent shows have been posted:

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 channelled his late father Fela superbly at Harbourfront, June 29:
http://to-music.ca/gallery/070629_seun

July 1, the superb Mavis Staples caused the entire audience at the Toronto Jazz Festival to fall in love with her, her voice, her spirit, her character:
http://to-music.ca/gallery/070701_mavis

And four days later, as predicted here, Toumani Diabaté and his Symmetric Orchestra put on an astounding performance.
http://to-music.ca/gallery/070705_toumani


 

3. UPCOMING SHOWS
a) Two more hot shows for the hot summer

July 15: Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca at Harbourfront Centre
What could be better for the soul than some hot Congolese-Cuban rumba? This band really grooves. Check http://www.makinaloca.com/ for more info & song samples.

July 22: Stella Chiweshe: The Queen of Zimbabwean mbira
This will be another of the year's memorable concerts. Watch her on this YouTube video clip:

 

b) Billy Joe Shaver:  July 23, Hugh's Room

Readers of this newsletter or my website, are certainly familiar with his name, if not his music. Certainly, no other non-African musician has had as many references printed here. Billy Joe is coming back to town at Hugh's Room. If you know his music, you will certainly be there. If you don't, I highly recommend you consider this show.

As I've stated before, I consider the Texan singer and songwriter to be one of America's greatest songwriters and poets. His music, while rooted in his own life story, can stand on its own as a moving reflection of the turmoils, triumphs and tragedies of life. He certainly has lived out more struggles, pain and tragedy than most people would want to consider. His songs tell those stories, and also show how he has endured, and continues to spread a message of hope and optimism.

If you don't know much about him, I have a lengthy profile (written 2 years ago) of him and his life as reflected in his music, posted here: http://www.to-music.ca/bjs.htm.

Here are a few YouTube video clips that give a sense of his music, his life and his character:

From 1984, a younger Billy Joe, and a painfully young Eddy Shaver (his son who died of a drug overdose in 2000), performing his classic "Black Rose" ("The devil made me do it the first time / The second time I done it on my own"). http://youtube.com/watch?v=OT3xxoyYlr4

Next, from July 2006 in North Carolina, Billy Joe performs two songs in memory of Eddy. After talking about his son's death, he advises young people, "If you tempt God long enough, he'll take you... Be very careful". He then performs, virtually solo "Star of my Heart". http://youtube.com/watch?v=AI1NgMvlUk0. He follows that with a song he co-wrote with Eddy, "Live Forever".

A couple of Billy Joe stories:

"No Fool Like an Old Fool". A story about a marriage that almost happened. Billy Joe's marriages are part of his legend. He married his first wife three times (divorced twice; she died of cancer in 1999). A few years ago, news came out he was going to re-marry. Then he didn't. This tells that story. Subsequently, he did marry, divorce, marry and divorce -- once again all to/from the same woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3ybRH3IyYA&NR=1

The dynamite story. Billy Joe & Waylon Jennings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ1fnTfuuH4&mode=related&search=

 

Finally, a few excerpts from a recent book, True to the Roots: Americana Revealed (Bison Original):

"Never was a man so talented and yet, at the same time, so humble.

The great Billy Joe Shaver is now well into his sixties. One of his recent albums, Freedom's Child, is so soulful, so moving, and so personal that of course, it has no chance at all of being played on mainstream country radio.

Plainly, Shaver is too hot for country to handle, and what a shame that is because he speaks with the raw human emotion that used to define the genre.

...Radio can't understand him. Radio doesn't get it....

Some songwriters imagine. Shaver reflects on what life has taught him. His songs are about the lessons of life, some learned and some regretfully ignored."


c) Other events:

Harbourfront this weekend: "World Rhythms".

Besides Ricardo Lemvo (above), the weekend includes Motown guitar legend Dennis Coffey (Jul. 13),  Afro-electro-funk of Mamani Keita & Nicolas Repac, and African acapella gospel with Soul Influence
 

Bana Y'Afrique: Jul. 21-22.. The 8th annual festival includes:

Nya Soleil (Cameroon) Muna Mingole (Cameroon), Jabulani (South Africa), Ijovudu Dance Company (Nigeria/West Africa), Ainike (Guinea/various), Tamsir Seck (Senegal), Jacques Yams (Cameroon), Alpha Rhythm Roots (Guinea) with AYA Dance Collective, Lizzy Mahashe (South Africa), Pekoce & Pekocettes (DR Congo), Rovambira (Zimbabwe), Fulani (Kenya) and Konyokonyo (Sudan).
 

Aug. 1: Jayme Stone at Hugh's Room
A highly eclectic banjo player (he's studied with musicians as diverse as Bé Fleck & Toumani Diabate). For this show, he's joined by Malian musicians Mansa Sissoko (kora)  and Jay Youssouf (kamale n'goni), as well Grant Gordy and Paul Mathew. $10/$12, 8:30


Out of town: The newsletter has subscribers in both Montreal and the Peterborough area, so here are a few notable events in those cities, for those who live there, or those who would contemplate a musical visit:

Festival Nuits d Afrique,Montreal, Jul. 12-22: You can overdose on African music at this festival: http://www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com/index_en.php?

Peterborough: Stella Chiweshe and her Earthquake Band perform twice in Peterborough this month. (July 21, and also July 28, as part of the 3 day Zimbabwean Arts Festival. See Africville website for details.

 

John Leeson
www.to-music.ca

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