Iris DeMent, Rebecca Pidgeon, Zap Mama

[WretchAwry <vickie@pilot.njin.net>]

<forwarded from Ecto, no KaTe content, sorry. Anyone who feels it
necessary to flame me, please do it via e-mail>


I'm knocked out! Within the space of a few hours I had 3 orgasmic
musical experiences. First, we went to see Zap Mama at the Ravinia
Festival, 2nd, Iris DeMent performed live on the Leno show, and 3rd,
Rebecca Pidgeon performed on Conan's show.

I had set a VCR for Leno, but luckily we got home early (thanks for
the ride Chip!) because Leno and Conan were delayed by the NBA Finals
(congratulations Houston! Sorry NYC) so I wouldn't have gotten either
performance if we'd been out-of-town or something.

Iris performed "My Life" just sitting at the piano, with no other
accompaniment. It's not my favorite song on the album, but it has
a simple power of its own, and since Iris and her music can move
me to tears, I loved it anyway. The song was shortened :-(, and it's
too bad Leno didn't interview Iris (not suprising) though she was 
sitting next to him at the end and he told her he liked the song.
Iris seemed nervous and hesitant, and shy (she never looked into 
the camera) but that's understandable. Although the performance
gave me chills, I wonder a bit what people who've never heard Iris
thought. It may be silly, but I feel very protective toward Iris,
in the same way I am about Victoria Williams. Just the thought that
someone watching it might think "this sucks" and turn the channel
hurts a bit. I wouldn't expect any Ectophile to say "this sucks" but
if anyone didn't like it, please be kind about expresing it :-)
However, if anyone who saw it liked it but doesn't have the album,
run, don't walk, to the nearest record store and get _My Life_ and
listen to it many, many times. It's a wonder to behold, if the
listener's ears, head and heart are open to it.

Just on the basis of one song, I'd also say the same thing about
Rebecca Pidgeon's album _The Raven_ (Conan showed the CD) and will
be getting a copy myself as soon as I can. Her song was *wonderful*!!!
Obviously, I don't know the name of the song (snatches of lyrics "I
wondered about you" and "when daddy say he gotta go") but it was
very "June Tabor-ish", dark and mesmerising. Rebecca accompanied
herself on guitar and was backed up by a pianist, upright bassist,
subdued drummer and 2 backup singers. Her voice didn't have the
Celtic lilt that was very evident in her Ruby Blue days, but she
used unusual inflections and interesting vocal rhythms.

I have a feeling that the name Rebecca Pidgeon will become an
often-seen one in the pages of Ecto. I hope so, anyway :). The
biggest problem with talking about Ruby Blue is that their albums
were never easily available, outside the UK, anyway. We gushers
have had the same problem with Eddi Reader and Mary Coughlin's albums.
Now that Rebecca has a solo album that is almost certainly released
in the USA (and hopefully Canada and elsewhere) she'll get wider
exposure.

I just now watched the performance again, and Conan says "my next guest
began her music career in the late 80s, while a member of Britian's
Royal National Theater Company. Here to perform a song from her American
debut album, _The Raven_, is Rebecca Pidgeon." Cool!

The night started with seeing Zap Mama at Ravinia. I'd always associated
Ravinia with classical and jazz music, and so (duck!) never really paid
that much attention to it. After 4 years of living in Chicago, it took
Zap Mama to finally get us to go there. The festival itself lasts for
a couple(few?) weeks, with performers every night. To our suprise, it
turned out to be *extremely* easy to get to for us. (Our not having a
car was another deterrent. We just assumed that it would be a nightmare
to get to without one). We took the Metra train (4 blocks away from our 
house) and it stopped, literally, a half-block away from Ravinia!

The setting is beautiful, with lots of shade trees, and the "thing to do"
is to take blankets and picnic stuffies, and have one. We even saw many
people who had raised tables with tablecloths and candles. It looked to
us that there were two main music areas, an open-air, but covered stage,
with seats under the covered area, and an enclosed, air-conditioned
theater. Zap Mama played in the enclosed theater. Those who bought
lawn tickets weren't completely out-of-luck, because the concert was
broadcast over many speakers located all around the park. We were inside
though, and I'm glad. Zap Mama has to be seen to fully appreciate their
live show. *Why*, however, is hard to explain. They started singing
while offstage, and come out onto the stage holding up large pieces of
fabric in front of them so the singers were completely obscured. It
was quite a sight, hearing those incredible voices coming from very
colorful...fabric :-). Beyond the 5 singer's voices, the only things
onstage were the bits of fabric, used in many various ways throughout
the show, a bench and the few instruments used, a gourd, some shakers
and a few small things that we were too far away to see clearly.

The singers of Zap Mama have amazing voices and use them in so many
different ways that it sometimes sounded as if there were 20 people
on stage. They are serious about their music, but have a terrific
sense of humor and their vocal and stage antics had the audience
laughing many times during the show. You could tell that these women
really like each other and love what they're doing. One of the highlights
of the show was an entire song dedicated to introducing each singer.
One of the singers, Marie Afonso, sang in various styles while the
others danced and hummed behind, and she used each vocal style (at
one point gospel-ish, for instance) to lead up to each introduction.
As each was introduced and while the audience was applauding, the
others would drape and decorate the introduced woman with their own
piece of fabric (which I'm sure has a name, but I don't know it) thus
sharing pieces of themselves with each other. All the while, singing
was still going on. It was fun, powerful, unusual and effective.

The sound was amamamamazzz-ing-ing-ing, with the only visible microphones
being a cluster hanging from the ceiling, though at one point, they
used traditional microphones as instruments. Each used her microphone
in a different way...one pounded hers as percussion, another zipped
hers across her plastic, textured hat, while another rubbed the microphone
on her buttons...it was very strange and interesting, though I can't
imagine what the people outside were thinking :).

If anyone else saw this show, or another Zap Mama show, and has better
powers of description than I do, I'd love to hear another take of their
concert. All I can really say is that if Zap Mama come *anywhere near*
where you are, GO SEE THEM!! It will be an experience you won't soon
forget, even if you can't describe it :).

I've typed in the page in the Ravinia program guide, and here it is:

ZAP MAMA

Marie Daulne
Sabine Kabongo
Sally Nyolo
Marie Afonso
Sylvie Nawasadio

Afro-European quintet Zap Mama is a vibrant group of women singers
who perform a rich a capella belnd of songs, sung mostly in French,
from African Pygmy chants to Spanish madrigals, _Spin_ magazine said
of the group's unique sound, "It's so organic that there's a natural
beauty and grace that promotes cultural understanding without
pandering or preaching."

Founded in 1990 by Marie Daulne, the Belgium-based ensemble first
gained exposure in the United States as the opening act for 10,000
Maniacs last year.  In 1993, Zap Mama's debut album _Adventures In
Afropea_, was released in the United States.  It commanded the 
number-one position on _Billboard's_ Top Adult Alternative chart
for 11 consecutive weeks and, according to the magazine, was the
best-selling "world music" album of the year.  An extensive round
of international touring followed, and the group was the subject
of a 1991 award-winnning BBC documentary, _Mizike Mama_.

Marie Daulne was born in Zaire in the early '60 of a Zairean mother
and a Belgian father (who was killed in the rebellion that followed
Zaire's independence in 1960).  Daulne was still an infant when her
family hid from the rebels among a Pygmy tribe in the African jungle.

Daulne's mother was eventually able to move the family to stay with
her husband's relatives in Belgium .  While growing up, Daulne learned
both traditional African songs and Catholic chorals.  Since there was 
no money for instruments, she formed an a capella group with her 
brothers and sisters.

At age 22, Daulne returned to Zaire to meet the Pygmies who had helped
her as a baby.  "When I heard them chanting, I suddenly understood the
sheer power of the human voice.  I knew right then that I wanted to 
sing too, to convey as much with my voice as I can."  Zap Mama was the 
result of this discovery.  "I became interested in the rhythms of the
earth--as a Zairean, as a Belgian, as a woman, and as a human being.
And singing is my way of uniting all these different tribes."

----------
Zap Mama's new album is _Sabsylma_ (Luaka Bop/Warner Brothers 9 45537)


In a musical blissy haze, I remain,

Vickie

"There is a road straight to my heart, traveled by those with fire..."
                                                     Happy Rhodes

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