MAKU SoundSystem – Rubenstein Atrium – September 22, 2016
MAKU is pretty close to the ultimate in World Music. The basic band has a South American orientation, mostly Colombia. The concert was like a showcase revue, with MAKU showing their stuff, and then bringing on musicians from elsewhere, not merely backing them up, but getting deep into the collaboration. We had Lodescar with a gospel-oriented focus; Ben Jaafar (Morocco), playing the guembri (this oversized version is a kind of proto-electric bass) as part of Innov Gnawa, specializing in the music of northwest Africa; Benavides was part of the Afro-Colombian song-and-dance troupe Bulla en el Barrio. There were others that I didn’t get to portray. Half the time, in the dim light, I was merely guessing which color I had in my hand. Poor Liliana!
Juan Ospina
Liliana Conde
Moris Canate
Andres Jiminez
Robert Stringer and Isaiah Richardson Jr.
Kemba Lodescar
Hassan Ben Jaafar
Gabriel Benavides