Even the Shattuck sidewalk outside La Peña had rhythm last Friday night as enlivened audience members smoked, recounted, and laughed to the tune of their own drum in between sets of Bolokada Conde’s West-African percussion show. After all, the vitality and display put on by Conde and his fellow drummers Wadaba Korouma, Karamba Dioubate, Mohamed Kouyate, Rafael Forestieri, Josh Tabije, Vijay Rakhra, and Sean Araneda made for an evening of sound that demanded participation from all those under La Peña’s roof.
It is the sign of a successful event when the interplay between drummers on stage is coupled by that between performers and the community below: audience members throwing dollar bills on the stage, in West-African tradition; a woman from the crowd taking up song and the drummers responding as her backup; and there was even a visit from the Giving God, who ascended the stage in the form of an audience member and gave Bolokada his jacket and watch! Aside from the éxito of their concert was the lively Dundumba party that followed, where the whole room gathered around to clap, drum, and bust a move! Que bárbaro…!
If you were at this event, please let us know about your experience by leaving a comment! Anything you’d like to add about the evening, the La Peña community wants to hear!
Also, if you’d like to see photos of the concert and/or follow up with Bolokada Conde, check out his blog: <http://bolokadaconde.blogspot.com/>