And here is video of Markus James and The Wassonrai in Belgium performing live.
"The mix of sounds, instruments,
and influences spanning the program is
mind-boggling" LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE
"This is an extremely
powerful album" —Ben
Manilla, Executive Producer, HOUSE
OF BLUES RADIO HOUR
Blues
concert slated for Falasco Center
Markus
James & The Wassonrai to perform April 14
Markus James and the Wassonrai will reach back to
the cradle of civilization in its blues performance
next month.
"I grew up loving blues music, and rock and soul
music," James said. "I came to realize that rock and
soul music are part of the evolution of blues music.
"And, I came to realize that blues music came
directly out of the African history."
The band is set to perform its unique style of blues
with a heavy African influence at the Ted Falasco Arts
Center, 1105 Fifth St., at 7:30 p.m. April 14.
James, originally from Virginia, said the roots of
blues music permeates life in West Africa. Call and
response, rhythms and eccentric, homemade instruments
can be found throughout Mali, Ghana and the rest of
the countries in the region.
"You can go over there and play what we would call
'old-school blues music' and they will just start
playing along with you," James said. "They'll say,
'This is our music.' "
The shuffle rhythm, a staple used by Muddy Waters,
Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker, finds its origin in
the everyday process of pounding millet into a starchy
paste eaten with soup. The process uses a
six-foot-tall mortar and pestle, and the women working
it develop a rhythm.
"You don't even have to go outside of your house to
be experiencing the place in the culture that music
plays in Africa," he said. "What we think of as our
music, like boogie, blues and rock music -- ch-chunk,
ch-chunk, ch-chunk."
James said modern percussion and rhythm instruments
also originate from Africa, and many of them will be
on display during his performance: a gourd banjo, a
four-stringed gourd bass called a "bolon," a calabash
drum and an eight-stringed harp called an "n'goni," as
well as the electric guitar and harmonica.
James said the set list will get a mix of acoustic
sounds, hauntingly intimate Skip James-esque songs and
"we all also crank up the amps and start to boogie."
James is aware that the crossover of blues and
African sounds may have some people scratching their
heads before the concert.
"I've just been doing it a long time, and for me
it's a natural thing," James said.
