Music and movies, who doesn’t love them both? On a clear Monday night in New York City, American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, with Toumani Diabaté, an internationally renowned Kora player from Mali, performed a free show for several thousand people at Central Park’s SummerStage, followed by a movie screening of Béla’s documentary Throw Down Your Heart. Béla, as he is referred to by fans (giving that personal connection), has become a fixture in the modern bluegrass and jazz fusion music scene, most notably with his group Béla Fleck and Flecktones.
This event drew on multiple generations of fans. At one point I looked around at the crowd and saw middle aged parents who have listened to Béla’s music for the last twenty plus years, as well as younger kids that follow the Jam band scene, of which Béla has been a part. The realization of this eclectic audience mix became evident at the beginning of the show. As Béla and Toumani took to the large stage, I overheard some people yelling at the kids up front to sit down so the people in chairs could see. It was obvious that there were different sets of expectations. It was a mellow concert, and I’m guessing that the Jam band fans who wanted to dance and twirl around, were a little disappointed. Although, I did see one guy who danced up and down the aisle in the back, spinning and smiling. Maybe he had a different sound-track playing in his mind. For me, the music that these two artists played could best be described as African folk fusion.
Béla has been touring the world, promoting his documentary Throw Down Your Heart, which is the third installation in his Tales From the Acoustic Planet series. The film, which was shot in 2005, follows Béla as he travels to the African countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali, where he explores the roots of the banjo, while interacting and recording an album with local musicians.
Toumani Diabaté is a master Kora player. The Kora, being a twenty-one stringed harp originating from West Africa, which Toumani has brought to audiences around the world. At one point during the show, Béla shared his admiration by referring to him as a “bad ass.” It was amazing to see the two master musicians collaborating and playing off of each others’ rhythms and style. I can honestly say that I’ve never heard music quite like this before, but it worked together so well. Béla would play a riff and then Toumani would add his. After, the two would just start playing simultaneously. At one point during the concert they unexpectedly broke into their rendition of “Dueling Banjos,” but in this case the other banjo was a kora. That definitely got a laugh from the audience and reaffirmed that these two musicians were enjoying themselves.
It’s amazing what you get when you put two virtuosos on the same stage. There was lots of creativity and experimentation that only two master musicians could achieve. I’m sure it keeps them interested and challenged as they tour around the world playing together.
The film itself was quite refreshing to watch after the performance, almost as if it had given me closure, or a better understanding of the foundation of the music that these two artists were creating. I recommend seeing Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté in concert if they come through your town, and if not, definitely rent a copy of Throw Down Your Heart. I promise that either, or both, will make for an entertaining evening.
