Hidmo closed abruptly and unexpectedly Mon. Dec. 20. Hidmo the arts organization will be revived this spring at Washington Hall, but Hidmo the restaurant is closed for good. See the Hidmo website for more info.

I captured the last song ever in the Sunday Night Music Series. Appropriately, it was Mohammed Shaibu singing the Afro-beat classic “Soul Makossa.” Mohammed’s band Soyaya played at the very first Hidmo African Music Night in March 2005, and he has been the series’ biggest supporter, always filling in when needed or giving up his slot for visiting artists, so it was very fitting that he would close out the series.

Passing along this note/invitation from Sarah Lee Koumbassa. We should all turn out to give Ibrahima  a nice send-off. He has been an important and generous contributor to our community for many years.

Dear Friends-

It is with mixed feelings we announce that our beloved teacher, mentor, father and master artist Ibrahima Camara will be leaving us to return to his home in Senegal to live.  While he may be back from time to time to visit, he intends to live with his mother, family and community in Senegal, starting in mid September, 2010.  Ibrahima has lived in the United States
for 37 years, contributing, directing, teaching, leading and loving all of us, from Boston to Seattle, and it is now our turn to give back to him, and
express our love and gratitude for all that he has created for us.

If you live in the Northwest, please join us for an unforgettable farewell
party for this great man.  We would like to stuff his pockets full of money,
and fill his heart full of our love and appreciation so he can return to his
land ready to start the next chapter of his life there.

THE PARTY:
Monday, August 30th, 2010 from 7:30 – 10:30pm
Schedule of Events:

7:30-8:30 – Dance Class Extravaganza – taught by multiple teachers!

8:30-9:30 – Dance and Drum party! (and snacks to break the Ramadan fast)

9:30-10:30 – Senegalese Dinner and acknowledgment for IBRAHIMA!

At Planet Earth Yoga Center
418 N 35th St. in the heart Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood
across the street from Theo’s Chocolates (the old Redhook Brewery building)
just East of the intersection of 35th and Phinney Ave.

We have not set a price for this event, but we encourage you to come and
enjoy the evening, celebrate Ibrahima, and give generously!

Please contact Laurie Sylla or Sarah Lee Koumbassa if you are willing to
help in any of the following ways:
. Bring food? (I believe Adama is making Cheb u jen, but my guess is that we
will have 50+ people there, so another dish would be good. Also, salad,
cake, plates/cups/spoons, drinks.etc)

. Help set up? If you could be there by 6:45p, that would be enough time to
get the food ready to go for after dance class. Also, what about decorating?

. Could you stay after to help clean up?

. Would you invite other key community members? Dancers, drummers? Could you
put this out to your email distribution lists?

This party is less than 3 days away, so please, spread the word so we can be
sure to reach all of the people he has touched!

If you know you cannot attend, but would like to contribute to his new life,
you can send a check to him at:

Ibrahima Camara
14040 Courtland Pl. N.
Seattle, WA 98133

Thank you.

Randomly browsing YouTube tonight, I came across a group in Philadelphia called Spoken Hand. They combine North Indian tabla, Afro Cuban bata, Brazilian samba and West African djembe in a 40-person ensemble that must really rock live, if this video is any indication:

I would love to see these guys in Seattle. Maybe SWPS could invite them to the World Rhythm Festival. I’m pretty sure the SWPS budget couldn’t cover 40 plane tickets, but maybe we could get the director and a few of the drummers to come out. I’m just sayin’ . . .

Bakra Bata, a long-time pillar of the Seattle world music community, is facing a tough situation. The home of group members Chrisceda Clemmons and Michael Shantz was trashed when Seattle police descended on their house looking for Chrisceda’s nephew, Maurice Clemmons, who had called asking for refuge after shooting four police officers in Lakewood. Maurice turned out not to be in the house, but the home was rendered uninhabitable, and most of the family’s tools and musical instruments were covered in toxic residue from the tear gas the police used.

The Leschi Community Council has established a fund to help the Clemmons/Shantz family. Make sure you reference the “Clemmons Family Fund” on your check and mail it to:

Clemmons Family Fund
Leschi Community Council
P.O. Box 22391
Seattle, WA 98122-0391

Here’s some background info on the situation:

She’s still waiting for normal

Trusted aunt chose to do the ‘right thing’

Help for Leschi Residents Caught in the “Crossfire”

Visit the Bakra Bata website to learn more about the group or to book them for a show. You can catch them this Wednesday at Neumo’s.

A photo of Senegalese rapper Baay Bia, who spends much of his time in Seattle, was on the front page of the BBC’s website today, linking to this story on global hip-hop.

Baay Bia is much better known in Senegal than in the U.S. His website includes a comprehensive biography and some music samples. Here’s a brief video of his performance on the Vera Stage at Folklife 2007.