Wishtank

Toubab Krewe: West African sounds from America

by: Garrett Heaney

Toubab Krewe is a tribe of American musicians who have set out to fuse the sounds of West African music with the blues and rock n’ roll that they have grown up with in the United States. Since Toubab’s debut in 2005, the quintet has attracted a vast fan base and international attention. The band has performed at the nation’s largest venues including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, the Vegoose Festival and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Between their live performance and their self-titled debut album, Toubab Krewe has received coverage from the New York Times, NPR, Global Rhythm, fRoots and other respected media outlets. The band is currently working on their sophomore album with Grammy-winning producer Steven Heller. The album is slated for an early 2008 release.

Devil Woman video shoot on the Niger River
Photo by David Suskind

The roster consists of five musicians: Teal Brown on the drum kit, Luke Quaranta on several percussion instruments, Drew Heller on electric guitar and soku, David Pransky on bass and Justin Perkins on multiple string instruments including the kamel ngoni, kora and electric guitar. When you hear the band live, it becomes apparent why there is no room for a vocalist in the midst of the deep ensemble of American and traditional West African instruments.

Early in 2007, Toubab embarked on its first West African trip as a band. The destination was Essakane, Mali where they played the Festival au Désert, known as the most remote festival in the world. The band has studied and performed with African legends such as Lamine Soumano, Vieux Kante, Madou Dembele, Koungbanan Conde and Sekou Kante. On August 25, Toubab will be headed to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont for Sol Harvest Festivus in Cabot, on the family property of bassist Dave Pransky. For more information, visit solharvest dot com.

Wishtank recently sat down with Pransky to talk about the band’s trip to Africa, the unique quality of their music and the evolution of Sol Harvest Festivus for the Restivus. 

Wishtank: When did you first hear African music? What drew you to this sound?

Pransky: I can’t remember the “first time” I heard African music exactly… probably on a Putamayo CD or something, but I first got into the music when I met the boys. My sister went to Warren Wilson College outside of Asheville, North Carolina where she was involved in a West African drum and dance ensemble called Common Ground. The rest of my band mates were involved in that project as well… Luke, Justin, Teal and Drew. So I would come down and visit, see the shows and hang with the folks. That’s really the first time I was exposed to the feel of West African music.

Wishtank: How did it feel to break away from the 4/4 time signature in which the majority of American music is written, and to learn the more complex pulse of West African music? I can imagine it was both challenging and liberating to explore the meters that you now work with.

Pransky: That’s what I meant by the “feel” of West African music. How the West Africans work with rhythm and time is so foreign to our ears. Yes, we grow up in the land of 4/4 — half notes, whole notes, quarter notes, etc… You remember your elementary music class… “O.K. Kids… and a 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4.”

Dave and Justin in the studio, Photo by David Suskind

I am a self taught musician so I am far from understanding music theory and the science of music, but West African music has taught me less about the rules and boundaries of music and more about the feel and pulse of music. So when you understand the pulse, there are no boundaries, no rules, as long as you are within the feel.

Wishtank: What are the roots of Toubab Krewe? How did you all come together as a band?

Pransky: Well, Teal, Justin and Drew all grew up together in Asheville. Justin and Drew have been playing music together since they were six or so. Luke went to Warren Wilson College and was involved in Common Ground along with my sister, and, like I said, that’s how I met the guys. We were all involved in different projects musically at the time. It was Justin and Drew’s first trip to Mali in 2004 when the idea of us, “the Krewe,” came about. At the time I was a self taught mandolinist and I remember getting an email from them that went something like… “Dave, get a bass!” So I did and that was that.

Wishtank: Toubab, or toubabou, as I’ve recently learned, translates to “foreigner” or “whiteman.” The band name seems fitting for a bunch of white dudes from the states who are creating a “foreign,” African sound here in the United States. But, with the fusion of American blues and rock and roll (along with your complexion), Toubab Krewe is even more of a foreigner in West Africa. How was the band received in Mali when you performed there for the first time in May? Do you feel your music makes a different connection with its audience in Africa than it does on our continent?

A local helps Teal prepare for Festival au Désert
Photo by David Suskind

Pransky: Yes and no… I think here in the States a lot of folks think that we are playing traditional West African music, because they see the kora, ngoni and other West African instruments and are hearing song in a totally foreign sound. While we do play some traditional songs, I feel that the West African vibe within the music of Toubab Krewe is a heavy influence, but no more and no less than the influence of rock n’ roll. In West Africa I think they understand that we are not a bunch of toubabs trying to play West African music. They love what we are doing with it and they support it. We respect the music at such a high level and they see that. I think that’s why it works.

Band publicist Jake Frankel accompanied the band on their 2007 trip to Mali, and kept a thorough travel log. We can gain a clear and vivid picture of how Toubab Krewe was embraced through his words. For the complete story, check out the article Toubab Krewe: Adventure in Mali 2007 published in Afropop Worldwide.

Toubab’s first walk in Badalabougou, Photo by David Suskind

Frankel: “On the walk back we earned the first “toubabou dance” of the trip — several children came running up doing two-steps, singing “toubabou, toubabou!” with sly smiles.  (“Toubabou” or “toubab” translates as “foreigner” or “white person”.) We came back and Luke was playing djembe for a small dance class across the road at Paul’s house. He was joined by Lisa Failla, a friend from the States that would be joining us for the Festival in the Desert, and Petit Adama, a djembe player from Ivory Coast who was playing in the Abidjan style, super-humanely fast and clean, with an urban edge. There were some children loitering outside the gate. I walked by and they wanted hi-fives. The percussion sounds poured out on to the street, down the block.  Already there seemed to be a steady stream of folks wandering by, curious as to who all the toubab musicians were, with many joining in for impromptu jam sessions on the porch. Drew played out on the street for about an hour with Ami, a jelimuso (female griot singer) with a characteristically nasal, yet beautiful, voice. Luke joined in, tapping on the krin, a hollow-log like instrument from Guinea. The sun was setting, bringing a soft glow to the woven-reed seats on the porch and the light green palms over-hanging in the courtyard.”

… and later in the trip, Jake writes about the performances during the Festival au Désert that took place in Essakane, outside of Timbuktu.

Frankel: “One of the first acts on an amazing final night of music, Toubab Krewe tore it up. They opened with “Roy Forrester,” an original composition featuring dueling percussion breaks and shredding kamel ngoni lines. I was filming the set from the side of the stage, and I could make out heads starting to bop around in the audience from behind the viewfinder. Many of the festival’s other performers joined me on the stage to check it out.

Toubab Krewe at Festival au Désert with special guest Lamine Soumano, Photo by David Suskind

“Lamine joined the band for “Maliba.” He was in rare form, completely rocking the shit out of his electro-flute-steele-drum-itar, looking back at Teal with faces of pain and ecstasy. This continued throughout “Bamana Niya,” the slow build eliciting cheers and fist-pumping at its distorted peak. They closed the 45 minute set with “Buncombe to Badala,” fusing surf and slide guitar driven southern rock. It was one of the hardest songs of the weekend, and the crowd roared in approval.  Mamatal, the festival promoter who brought the band over, called Drew over after the set to literally pull his shirt up and show him his goose bumps. Bassekou told Luke it was one of the best shows of the weekend. Lamine said his peers showered the band with compliments, and he was proud. Afterwards, it was the response of the festival’s other musicians that seemed to matter the most to the members of the band. They were genuinely touched and honored to be regarded as peers by so many of their idols and influences.”

… and back to our conversation with Dave.

Wishtank: The word “foreign” seems to draw negative connotations in a lot of situations. But, in the case of Toubab, it seems that being foreign, everywhere you play, also means you’re unique. While unique is an absolute, your band seems to have more unique qualities than other American bands — what are some of the foreign instruments that we see on stage and how were they integrated into the band (that is, were they always part of the equation or did they factor in as the band progressed)?

Pransky: Yeah, you will see some different instruments on our stage than most others here in the States, but I don’t want to say that we are more unique than others, that’s a little over my head. Music is such an open highway, and music is opinion based. It’s really hard to compare in terms of what’s better, what’s more unique etc… Justin plays the camel ngoni, which is a 12-string harp and the kora which is 21-string. Both are traditionally made with a gourd, goat skin and fishing line. Our percussionist, Luke, plays the djembe and dun dun which are both traditional African drums. He also plays the korin, which is a hollowed out log with three different tones, a scrapper and the calabash, which is half a gourd that has kind of a kick/snare feel. When the band started we were playing all these instruments, but as we evolve as a band, I see a lot more instruments finding there way into the mix. That’s the beauty of a band where everyone is a multi-instrumentalist.

A press conference with members of Tinariwen
Photo by David Suskind
Wishtank: One of the most remarkable feats about Toubab is the fact that you’ve taken the time and energy to go to Africa, individually and as a group, to study the music. Who are the musicians there who have most influenced you and, outside of music, what have you learned from the culture of Mali and West Africa?

Pransky: Wow that’s a big question… I’m still absorbing experiences from my first trip to Africa back in January. I don’t know, there’s so much… I had an amazing experience there, I grew both as an individual and a musician… So many beautiful things. But, at the same time it’s a struggle — I mean you are in the poorest region in the world, West Africa. It’s really hard to see people trying to survive in such difficult conditions. I guess what stands out to me most this second is, that no matter how difficult it is, there is always a smile on their faces, and they put everything they have into their family, music and everything they do. It’s both humbling and enlightening, they are such amazing people.

I am so fortunate to have crossed paths with a great by the name of Sekou Kante. Sekou plays bass with Toumani Diabate, and is at the top of the list when it comes to bass in West Africa. Sekou also plays with the Super Rail Band of Mali as well as with the top acts out of this area. Sekou was kind enough to spend the mornings with me on the porch of our compound, working on bass for hours on end. I am truly honored to have spent time with Sekou Kante. He taught me so much about music, as well as life, and so much more… Like I said I’m still absorbing. If you get a chance check out Sekou on Toumani’s new album..."Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra” Wow!

Wishtank: What are the origins of Sol Harvest Festivus at your family home in Cabot, Vermont? I had the opportunity to attend last year and it was one of the best nights of music that I recall in recent memory. What’s the lineup look like this year?

Pransky: The Sol Harvest Festivus for the Restivus originated five years ago as more or less a big party high-lighting my first band, Sol Harvest. The band featured myself and two other local yokels from the NEK, Justin Boland (aka Thirtyseven of Wombaticus Rex), and Ryan Hare (aka Harepie of Wombaticus Rex).

The festivus represented the end of the summer, the last big hurrah before the cold settles in. Sol Harvest, D’moja and Viscus played throughout the night, switching sets and all ending up on stage together into the wee hours of the morning. I think about 300 People where there… good times! So now the Festivus has evolved into this one day and night festival featuring national and world wide acts as well as the hottest music out of Vermont.

Drum rehersal, Photo by David Suskind

It’s held on 93 acrers in Cabot, Vermont where I grew up, and is filled with trails, a beautiful pond for swimming and nice open fields. I’m really excited to have a brand new stage built this year in the big field, food vending and a kick ass line-up. Toubab Krewe will be there again… I can’t throw a music festival on my land and just watch, right? Along side TK will be Adam Deitch and DJ Equal, Vorzca, Wombaticus Rex, Amapola and Eliza Lynn. It’s Going to be a lot of fun this year, and I’m very proud to see festivus growing into something really special. You can get info at www.solharvest.com. Hope to see y’all there on August 25th!  •

For more on the band, music and video, visit Toubab’s Website at Toubab Krewe dot com and find them on myspace at www.myspace.com/toubabkrewe.

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All materials published on wishtank.org are under the shared copyright protection of Wishtank magazine and the original authors, photographers and artists who created them. For contractual reprint or copy permission, contact Garrett Heaney at editor@wishtank.org. Wishtank likes to share, but looks out for our contributors. ©2007 and beyond