It was a sweet show, and a particularly sweet scene, at Hidmo tonight. Joy and camaraderie abounded, and the music was cooking.
I can’t believe that it took me until tonight to finally catch Eckaman and Super Mokako. Eckaman is Congolese, so his vocals, and the overall feel of the show, were a nice departure from the usual West African scene.
Well, actually, a lot of the West African “usual suspects” were in the house. Abdoulaye Diabate played guitar, along with Leif Totusek. Karim Koumbassa sat in on djembe for most of the second set. Edward Souarez sang several songs and sat in on drum kit for another song. Naby Camara played balafon on one song. And Abdoulaye Sylla and other Guinean dancers were having a lot of fun on the dance floor.
Bob Antolin played sax and clarinet. Ricardo Guity Blanco played drums. I didn’t recognize the bass player. Mohammed Shaibu sat in on guitar and drum kit.
Be sure to get to Hidmo next Sunday, March 7, for the big fifth anniversary show. Maya Soleil will open for Guillaume Mpacko’s group Sol Afrique.