Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Bombino’ Category

Bombino (City Winery Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, September 20, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bombino, City Winery Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA on September 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 20, 2023] Bombino

Bombino is a Tuareg guitar player.

Ever since learning about Tuareg musicians from NPR Music, I’ve made a list of four bands that I’d like to see live, They are Mdou Moctar, Tinariwen, Imarhan and Bombino.

I was lucky enough to see Mdou Moctar recently.  Bombino is actually the first of the Tuareg guitarists I’d heard of and I was rather looking forward to seeing him when he announced he was playing the States.

However, this evening proved to be a night with FOUR shows I was interested in.  And, I already had tickets to one of them (Igorrr).  There was also a Breeders tour, and a Melvin/Boris show in Bethlehem (which would be an insane place to see them, but I’m seeing them tomorrow).

So, Bombino had to be pushed aside.  I’m sure he’ll be back and I’ll get to see him another time.  I imagine that Tinariwen are most likely the next band to come back to Philly.  We’ll see if I’m right.

The promotion for this tour has never mentioned if anyone is opening for his show.  I assume someone is, but I cannot find any information about who it might be.

This also continued my streak of NOT going to the City Winery.  I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.

Read Full Post »

Matt Phelan–Snow White: A Graphic Novel (2016)

Posted in Bombino, Death, Fairy Tales, Graphic Novel, Jimi Hendrix, Matt Phelan, Short Books, Tiny Desk Concert, Violence on May 18, 2017| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: BOMBINO-Tiny Desk Concert #301 (September 7, 2013).

So who or what is Bombino you, like me, are probably asking.  Well:

Omara “Bombino” Moctar is a Tuareg guitarist, born in Niger.  There’s something alluring and charming about Bombino, whose childlike face belies his fierce, hypnotic guitar playing. The familiarity in his music stems from the blues, a common thread between American music and Africa for obvious reasons. Bombino grew up on the music of Jimi Hendrix, whose sound keeps getting sent back and forth from America to Africa and back again.

Bombino plays three songs.  They’re all pretty lengthy with a lot of guitar playing.  But none are instrumental.  However, I certainly have no idea what he’s singing.  In addition to Bombino, there; a rhythm guitarist, a bassist and two drummers–one playing a djembe I believe and one playing that drum that you thump with your fist–I can’t find the name of it.

  • “Tamiditine” has a Western sounding melody
  • “Her Tenere” opens with a lengthy guitar solo–and o course his guitar has that distinctive tinny guitar sound  This one is really catchy.  I assume he is singing real words, but it just sounds like “deh deh deh.”
  • “Imuhar” feels a bit more Nigerian, than Western–it’s interesting to hear the distinction in scales there.  Overall this has a long jamming quality to it.

Before listening to the Tiny Desk Concerts, I’d never listened to music like this and I’m grateful for the exposure to it.

[READ: January 24, 2017 ] Snow White

Matt Phelan continues to make great graphic novels.  This one is an adaptation of Snow White.  I assumed it would be a fairly straightforward telling of the fairy tale, but Phelan changes the setting of the story and makes the whole thing far more “real,” which is a neat trick.

Phelan has moved the setting of the story from the forest to the glamour of 1920s Manhattan.  It is just before the Depression and the city is hopping!  Bright lights, (for a black and white book anyway), dancing and money everywhere.

And amid this, a young girl is born.  Samantha White is a few years old in 1918.  As she runs through central park her mother calls to her: Samantha…Snow!  The girl responds to this name, but as she turns around, her mother cough up blood into a handkerchief (virtually the only color in the book). (more…)

Read Full Post »