After a 3 1/2 hour white-knuckle ride at the border, Toubab Krewe rolled into to Revival on Sunday — in a bus formerly owned by none other than Graham Nash. A stellar half-hour set from High Plains Drifter, who brought their A-game for the occasion, and the usual vibeful and floor-filling selections from dj medicineman rounded out the mix for this Small World Music Festival fiesta.
“Toubab” means “foreigner” in a Malian dialect whose name escapes me right now. It’s such an ironic handle, because these guys are completely at home wherever they travel, from West Africa to northern Vermont and everywhere in between. They’re equal parts dedicated students of ancient African traditions and hard-driving Southern rock wrecking crew with a little bit of New York street. Toubab Krewe’s music grabs you from the first note and doesn’t let go, going from rhythmic ecstasy to melodic contemplations and back again. The 15-minute percussion jam to close the show was nothing less than cathartic. What was looking like a pretty grim night crowd-wise early on thankfully picked up into a wonderfully energetic yet intimate gathering.
You read a lot of navel-gazing about white people playing African music, and whether it’s “okay” for this to be happening; one would have thought that the Beastie Boys, Ry Cooder/Ali Farka Toure, Paul Simon, and a few hundred other examples might have put these insecurities to rest, but apparently not. Near as I can tell, “white people” play African music because it inspires them — it’s joyous and cathartic and rhythmically dialed into to the soul. And because they know that what they do inspires Africans, who a) love great American sounds just as much and b) are thrilled to share their culture with Westerners who know full well that when it comes to great music, so many roads lead back to Africa. Observing High Plains Drifter’s Jamaican bassist raptly attentive to Toubab Krewe’s Jewish bassman recounting stories of visiting the homes of African master musicians, making arrangements for lessons and being taken in as a member of the family was something I won’t soon forget. Even more exciting was the band’s sense of connection with Toronto, that immediate feeling of being in a city they know is made to embrace what they do. I can only imagine where this thread which has gone from Tinariwen to Afrissippi to Toubab Krewe and this coming Tuesday to Vieux Farka Toure at the Mod Club, will lead next.
Many, many thanks to Small World, Jay Cleary & NuFunk, Batuki Music & Karibuni Radio, Toubab Krewe’s team at Upstream and Skyline, all the Toronto media and community stalwarts who got the buzz around and everyone else who came together to make a magical night go down.
