Sidi Touré made his first guitar as a child, constructing it from his wooden writing slate in the ancient town of Gao, Mali. Once the heart of the Songhai empire and burial place of its Askia kings, the town rests between the Niger and the encroaching ocean of sand known as the Sahara Desert. The Songhai empire was the last of the great empires of the Sahel, reaching its zenith under Soni Alibert (Sunni Ali) in the mid 400′s.
Touré’s sound both captures and challenges his roots. While the music and rhythms remain authentically Songhai, moving from the translucent swaying Takamba to the trance inducing Holley , his lyrics revleal an observant and critical mind. His songs draw attention to issues not usually addressed by singers from such ancient traditions. Sidi’s music is modern, bending tradition not unlike Tinariwen (they share common rhythms like Takamba: the songhai and the tamasheq are neighbors) and his guitar playing and scales cross into western folk and blues not unlike Ali Farke Touré (who is also songhai). Sidi is a captivating performer whose skills and songs shine in any context.
Spearheading the emerging generation of Cajun and Creole musicians, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of enormous talent and potential. Injecting a healthy dose of his own personality and ingenuity, Cedric has been exciting an ever-broadening audience with his unique take on traditional Creole music, and with his new compositions that expand the genre while still respecting its roots. In the few years since he assumed the role of bandleader, all three of his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards. Moving with ease between fiddle and accordion, and adding his strong blues-inflected vocals, Cedric’s creative style and obvious joy in playing make him an engaging and exciting performer.
Crossroads Music
801 South 48th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Tickets $10-$30.
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