MAMADOU

Yet another year has come to a close and yet another installment of the Boston Music Awards is complete. This special ceremony, now in its 24th year, honors one of the most coveted local recognitions among New England’s very top musicians and members of the music trade industry. Nominees and winners are determined by a hand selected academy of over 150 local music aficionados along with the voting general public. So, the International Artist of the Year Award goes to “drum roll” … Mamadou Diop, a world fusion artist well-known for his incredible African drumming technique and rhythm guitar artistry, for which he has developed a reputation as one of the best in the world. A professional performer for over 30 years, Diop is the epitome of multiculturalism, having been named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Art of Living Foundation and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He firmly believes that all aspects of ones daily existence should be centered around a variety of world cultures rather than any single one, no matter what one’s original ethnic origin may be, as each and every one brings its own special value to the over-all quality of life. Undoubtedly, this philosophy ultimately translates into the trademark style of Diop and his band MAMADOU.

MAMADOU’s over-all sound is most heavily characterized by driving Senegalese and other African rhythmic motifs accented melodically by the electric guitar. Added to this basic musical foundation are elements of a number of other diverse styles including high-life, juju, rumba, samba, salsa, and reggae. Aside from leading the band, Diop, originally from Senegal, is also responsible for the group’s original compositions. What he has managed to bring us with the creation of MAMADOU is an extraordinarily popular diversified world fusion ensemble with universal crowd appeal that memorizes audiences with its highly potent rhythms just begging one and all to move their feet and clap their hands in exhilaration.

There were five bands nominated in the international category this year. The other four nominees were Zili Misik (past winner), Debo Band (past winner), Dub Apocalypse (past winner), and Bloco AfroBrazil (past nominee). There were also other world music artists who actually won awards in additional categories including: The Dropkick Murphys (Best Artist of the Year & Best Live Artist of the Year), David Wax Museum (Song of the Year), Esperanza Spalding (Jazz Artist of the Year). Way to go world music artists! Keep the music alive. By the way, it’s also a pretty good bet that you will find some other names of interest in this regard amongst the nominees, if you care to take a peek. - Congratulations Mamadou Diop: Winner of 2011 Boston Music Award

..."The Mamadou sound itself is hard to peg: The band performs original music that combines African rhythms and lyrics with western musical influences, making it world beat in the largest sense of the term. For example, Daouda Sane, a song about the connection between man and nature ("We are all a part of nature," Mamadou says, "but we sometimes lose the connection. Daouda Sané can bring us back to nature, or nature back to us.") is based on a traditional Senegalese chant with original music and lyrics added by Mamadou"...

..."But the studio albums are tame by comparison to the live sessions.... It's harder, edgier and more energetic, a complete change in the sonic direction of the band. Then Mamadou will, with a wave of the hand, stop all of the music except for the drumming, giving listeners a crash-bang lesson in the fundamentals of his music"... - J. C. Lockwood

WOODSTOCK— Language students at Woodstock Academy punctuated a weeklong focus on foreign cultures with a Senegalese-style concert that certainly put them in the mood for a rocking weekend.

“I think it’s wonderful for the kids to go out of the school dancing,” said language instructor Merry Burke, who helped organize the school’s Culture Week for the 10th consecutive year.

Charmed by the rhythmic sounds coming from the six musicians on stage, more than 100 students snaked down to the front of the auditorium, clapping and dancing to the beat that might be described as a rocking mix of early Santana and the late Bob Marley.

“I liked the concert mostly because it was refreshing to listen to a style of music so different from what one hears on the radio these days and yet still entertaining and pleasant,” said junior Jessica Deary of Pomfret. “Culture Week is very informative and it reminds people that there is a whole, wide world outside of Woodstock; it helps people to be more open-minded about different cultures.”

Jessica knows from whence she speaks, having traveled to Senegal with a contingent from the academy.

“After visiting Senegal, I have been much more open-minded about different views on subjects such as polygamy, and I am much more thankful for the opportunities I have in this country such as education and freedom of speech,” she said. “The most different thing about Senegal was the Senegalese perspective on life. Everything was very laid back and people were incredibly friendly. Also, of course, many people were very poor and it was kind of a shock to see so much poverty.”

The West African nation may be financially poor but there appears to be a richness in the Senegalese way of life.

“Once I understood their mentality regarding the ranking of certain issues, such as women’s rights versus monetary issues, I was able to absorb their unique and diverse culture, which was equally as enjoyable as northeastern Connecticut, just supported by a different way of life,” said senior Aoife McCarthy of Pomfret, who also made the trip.

Students at the academy got a hint of that different way of life during the concert, which culminated a week that included “morning announcements in a different language each day and you had to guess the language,” says Jacob Duncan of Woodstock, and daily attire in the colors of the flags of designated nations.

“We all dressed up in different countries’ colors each day. It was awesome,” said freshman Caitlin Child of Woodstock.

And who doesn’t enjoy a concert?

“I loved it all, especially the singing,” said sophomore Amanda Paquette of Woodstock.

The singer was Senegal native Mamadou Diop, who now resides in the Salem, Mass. area.

“Love, peace, hope — you make it happen,” said Mr. Diop. “Always stay positive in your life; never give up.”

His message delivered, the Senegal native called for the students to “come down” for some fun.

Soon, more than 100 kids stood in front of the stage, clapping their hands over their heads, dancing to the enticing rhythm of Mr. Diop’s snare drum.

“This is pretty good, the drums and guitar are pretty cool,” said sophomore Clint Beausoleil. “It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be.”

Which sums up many Woodstock Academy students’ reaction to the customs of other countries to which they were exposed during Culture Week. - Worcester Telegram and Gazette, www.telegram.com

Mamadou at the Middle East
PerfomerMag, http://www.performermag.com
By Kerry Skemp - February 8, 2008

CAMBRIDGE— When Mamadou Diop took the stage, it was clear he was totally ready to rock. Decked out in a full camouflage-safari outfit, complete with a safari vest, and pith helmet, Diop was more than prepared to lead his audience on a journey through a musical jungle of Afro-Caribbean grooves backed up by traditional West African drums. And that's just what he did, rocking the Middle East with fast drumbeats and joyful guitar chords. Diop kept the evening upbeat but not sappy, advising audience members to "Stay your own self," and backing up his positive attitude with vibrant sounds.

A native of Senegal, Diop now lives in the Boston area but tours the world sharing Mamadou's wide-ranging but technically focused musical stylings. At the Middle East, the band revealed Caribbean, Spanish, and even Asian influences while maintaining a steady African beat. Band members played offset rhythms on a variety of drums, creating a richly textured mixture of rhythmic tones. Guitars and keyboard bass rounded out the band's infectiously nuanced sound. Diop and his band sang in Wolof (an African language prevalent in Senegal), English, French, and Spanish, making for a performance that was globally focused in lyrics as well as sounds.

In addition to a standard drum kit, capably manned by Mitch Cohen, Mamadou played a number of traditional African drums. Diouck handled the tama, or talking drum, a small drum that's held under the arm and made to "talk" or play various pitches by squeezing the strings of the drum. While he elicited frantic "talk" from the tama, Diouck also manned the sabar drum, a djembe-like drum native to Senegal. Mamadou also featured Michelle Cherie on djembes, Adam Zampino on keyboard bass, Pavel Jirka on lead guitar, and of course Mamadou Diop himself on electric guitar and various drums. Two guest drummers also played.

The band's enthusiasm was impressive. Diop's dance rhythms were so intense that his hat flew off his head a few times Surprisingly, this couldn't quite get the crowd going. In fact, the crowd was perhaps the least pleasant aspect of this performance. Mamadou is a remarkably energetic band that makes unique music with driving beats; it's too bad the Middle East crowd wasn't up to the challenge of moving with those rhythms.

http://www.performermag.com/nep.livereviews.0804.php
- By Kerry Skemp

WOODSTOCK— Language students at Woodstock Academy punctuated a weeklong focus on foreign cultures with a Senegalese-style concert that certainly put them in the mood for a rocking weekend.

“I think it’s wonderful for the kids to go out of the school dancing,” said language instructor Merry Burke, who helped organize the school’s Culture Week for the 10th consecutive year.

Charmed by the rhythmic sounds coming from the six musicians on stage, more than 100 students snaked down to the front of the auditorium, clapping and dancing to the beat that might be described as a rocking mix of early Santana and the late Bob Marley.

“I liked the concert mostly because it was refreshing to listen to a style of music so different from what one hears on the radio these days and yet still entertaining and pleasant,” said junior Jessica Deary of Pomfret. “Culture Week is very informative and it reminds people that there is a whole, wide world outside of Woodstock; it helps people to be more open-minded about different cultures.”

Jessica knows from whence she speaks, having traveled to Senegal with a contingent from the academy.

“After visiting Senegal, I have been much more open-minded about different views on subjects such as polygamy, and I am much more thankful for the opportunities I have in this country such as education and freedom of speech,” she said. “The most different thing about Senegal was the Senegalese perspective on life. Everything was very laid back and people were incredibly friendly. Also, of course, many people were very poor and it was kind of a shock to see so much poverty.”

The West African nation may be financially poor but there appears to be a richness in the Senegalese way of life.

“Once I understood their mentality regarding the ranking of certain issues, such as women’s rights versus monetary issues, I was able to absorb their unique and diverse culture, which was equally as enjoyable as northeastern Connecticut, just supported by a different way of life,” said senior Aoife McCarthy of Pomfret, who also made the trip.

Students at the academy got a hint of that different way of life during the concert, which culminated a week that included “morning announcements in a different language each day and you had to guess the language,” says Jacob Duncan of Woodstock, and daily attire in the colors of the flags of designated nations.

“We all dressed up in different countries’ colors each day. It was awesome,” said freshman Caitlin Child of Woodstock.

And who doesn’t enjoy a concert?

“I loved it all, especially the singing,” said sophomore Amanda Paquette of Woodstock.

The singer was Senegal native Mamadou Diop, who now resides in the Salem, Mass. area.

“Love, peace, hope — you make it happen,” said Mr. Diop. “Always stay positive in your life; never give up.”

His message delivered, the Senegal native called for the students to “come down” for some fun.

Soon, more than 100 kids stood in front of the stage, clapping their hands over their heads, dancing to the enticing rhythm of Mr. Diop’s snare drum.

“This is pretty good, the drums and guitar are pretty cool,” said sophomore Clint Beausoleil. “It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be.”

Which sums up many Woodstock Academy students’ reaction to the customs of other countries to which they were exposed during Culture Week. - Worcester Telegram and Gazette, www.telegram.com