SUMMER TOUR '09 - Part 4: London / Youssou NDour's show

Just returned to Los Angeles after six glorious weeks out in the world: touring, performing, singing, dancing! This is part 4

LONDON
Arriving back from Dakar, I was tempted to push my entire suitcase into the washing machine in London. But luckily, a gigantic bag of café touba offset the smell of clothes that had been danced and sweated in for two heavenly weeks.

Another quick turn around. The next morning, I was BACK at Heathrow, but this time waiting for my 9-year-old daughter, Koyan, who had braved a 10 hour flight from Los Angeles to have two weeks with me in London and France. We were SO HAPPY to see one another after a month apart! She cheerfully told me she had neeearly made it, but barfed on the descent when the plane was in a holding pattern. I just LOVE her!

The next week, we pin-balled around London, seeing the sights, visiting friends, sampling the city’s awesome parks, cafes, bus routes, nooks and crannys. So much fun!

At the amazing new Diana, Princess of Wales’ Memorial Playground


YOUSSOU NDOUR LONDON CONCERT
The one Saturday I was in London, Youssou Ndour was playing at Indigo (ALHAMDOULILAH!). Koyan stayed with friends and I went alone … and early. Once inside, I sat by the wall on the nearly empty floor and just watched the place fill steadily. Anyone who loves Youssou’s music is my instant friend. Soon, I was chatting to one person after another. A young man recognized me from performing at Bercy ’08 and told me sincerely that my dancing was “grave,” (love that!). Finally, Youssou came on. Oh, he and Les Super Etoiles threw down a wonderful show.

Backstage with YOUSSOU NDOUR after his show in London


I was particularly excited to see dancer Pape Moussa Sonko from up front. I had only seen him in videos or from the side of the stage. His dancing is so creative, powerful, fun, and effortless ... What a Master!

with Divine Dancer PAPE MOUSSA SONKO


A few songs into the show, everyone onstage had spotted me. I was down front to the side dancing with a pile of hilarious SeneGambians who I’d just met. Every new song would bring on an eruption of fresh enthusiasm from the floor.

When they played the song I co-wrote for Youssou, Boul Bayekou, he called me up onto the stage. The security guard said. “No way!” until I pointed behind him. He turned to see Youssou emphatically pointing at me to say, “Get her up here NOW!” . . . Oh. . . . The guard helped me up onto the stage himself! I turned to the audience, adjusted my hat with a smile to make sure it wouldn’t fall off, and solo-ed with total glee. Afterwards? … more dancing, of course!

When the show was over, there was a rush for the backstage, but an excellent DJ was playing my fave mbalax, so I couldn’t tear myself away from the floor. Finally, Jimi Mbaye and Pape Moussa came out and they insisted I come backstage, so I did. Said Hello to everyone before more dancing outside.

WIth ABDOULAYE LO (drums) and BIRAME DIENG (backing vocals)
They both performed on my upcoming 5th CD.
(Love the pink backstage pass on my thigh!)


It took 3 buses to get allll the way back across London that night. I met 10 SeneGambian students on the bus’ top deck and we chatted the whole way. Arrived home cold, tired, and happy at 5am! Vive Youssou N’dour et Les Super Etoiles de Dakarrrrr! Vive London!

SUMMER TOUR '09 - Part 3: DAKAR

Just returned to Los Angeles after six glorious weeks out in the world: touring, performing, singing, dancing! HEAVEN! THIS IS PART #3

DAKAR, SENEGAL
After traveling all day long from Spain, I dragged my bag up Ladbroke Grove, slept one night, did laundry the next morning, and then got a train BACK out to Heathrow to catch a flight to Paradise … DAKAR!!!!

After a midnight connection in Casablanca, my second flight arrived at Dakar’s airport at 2:30am. My dear friends, the dancers of Goorgoorlu, met and drove me to stay at their cousins’ apartment near to them. My room had a mattress, two sheets, fan, mosquito net, small adjacent bathroom with shower inside. Perfect! My flat mates were two 23-year-old hilarious, kind, and open-hearted young women named Kine Ndiaye and Mame Doeur and another relative named Issa. We all hit it off instantly, laughed and danced all day long to the steady stream of mbalax videos on the TV in the hallway.

Bamba Gueye and Fallou Ndiaye of the Groupe Goorgoorlu


My kind, warm, and hilarious apt mates:
Fatou Ndiaye and Mame Doeur


Dancing every day in the corridor (note the mbalax videos on the TV!)
Kine Ndiaye, Awa Chiekh, and Mame Doeur


For the next two weeks, Fallou Ndiaye and Bamba Gueye (and sometimes Djilly Mbaye) took me EVERYWHERE with them. My general schedule was this: I’d wake up at 10 am, have café touba, bread and butter with the girls, rehearse with Bamba and Fallou, lunch, nap, and then there would be a swirl of activity until 9pm.

Bamba Gueye, Djibril Ndiaye Rose, me, and Fallou Ndiaye
after dancing for Djibril’s new video


Once home, I’d sleep from 9pm until midnight, then get up again, groggily dress, and they’d pick me up in a taxi to dance at a club or concert until 5am … every night for two weeks. Oh, it was beyond heaven.

During the time I was there, we danced at tannebeers, at soiree Senegalaises, concerts (Salam Diallo, Orchestre Ceddo), parties, celebrations, for two videos and on TV twice. Everywhere they go, Goorgoorlu bring an infectious energy of festivity and joy. They can walk into a gathering and it becomes and instant party!

Singing and dancing for a 5-year-old relative’s birthday.
Another typical, spontaneous, Senegalese corridor party!


Bamba Gueye – sweaty, singing, celebratory


Fallou Ndiaye - sweaty, singing, hilarious, getting his point across


It was so generous of them to include me in everything. I became the big surprise they’d pull out at these events. I’d stand on the sidelines, like any normal toubab guest, but then would suddenly bounce into view dancing sabar … and well??? Over and over again, everyone would erupt with laughter and delight. It was soooo fun!

The only thing that got me down was how little the dancers are paid for all of their hard work and effort. As stars over there (every time you turned on the TV, they were dancing in someone’s video) Goorgoorlu somehow manage always to dress well and play the part, but there is so much competition for work, people often felt at liberty to pay them little or not at all. Given their reputations, they DO get jobs that pay well, but it blew my mind how often I saw them paid the equivalent of $12 to be divided by two … after days of rehearsals, taxi rides, hot days, hours and hours of dancing, singing, or waiting around.

Bamba Gueye, Djilly Mbaye, and Fallou Ndiaye,
standing around, looking groovy, and waiting at at TV shoot


Staying cool inside a taxi, looking less groovy, ... also waiting


The biggest event we did was for Senegal’s Walf TV. Walf TV was hosting an mbalax special featuring the rising tassou / mbalax stars of the day. Many top dancers in Senegal reach a point where they are so familiar to the public through dancing in other people’s videos, they become tassou artists themselves. Tassou is a little like rap, but over mbalax beats, rather than hip hop beats. That day, they interviewed Pape Ndiaye Thiopet, Ndjole, Goorgoorlu, and three other tassou artists I didn’t know.

All dressed up and ready to go to Walf TV for Goorgoorlu’s appearance


Goorgoorlu took their places and made sure I was sitting in the front row of the studio audience. I spent the next four hours of filming aware that the cameras were catching audience expressions. Despite not understanding the Wolof, I would laugh when everyone laughed or look intensely focused when everyone was debating some deep point. LOL!

Eventually, each artist got to perform a playback of two songs. Goorgoorlu was up near the end and launched into a full blown dance up of their single “Chiantgi.” Halfway through the song, Bamba motioned for me to join them so I bounced out of my seat and improvised behind them. At a crucial bakk (phrase of drum music) at the song’s climax, they turned to me, like, “Take this one” and I did a hilarious and crisp set of steps and aced it. Everyone cracked up.

Sitting down all sweaty in the sweltering studio, I composed myself, only to have Ndjole call me up to dance for her song too. No prob! She also sang a traditional song that evolved into a mini-studio-tannebeer and I did a nice solo, complete with hat falling off and red hair everywhere. HAHAHAAA! By this time, everyone was looking at me, like, “Who on earth are YOU?” One of the presenters said, “Pass her a microphone!” and asked me, “Well, what’s YOUR story?”

What a window of opportunity!!!! I told them my name was Ashley, that I had met Goorgoorlu when Youssou Ndour invited me to dance at Bercy 2008, that I was grateful for their generosity and honored to be there, that mbalax was now international through the internet, that I am principally a singer, that I had just finished my 5th CD, partly recorded with five of the Super Etoiles at Jimi Mbaye’s house last September. “A singer?” they said, “Sing something!” So I sang a verse and chorus from Crown for Adorning and handed back the mic. Oh, that felt soo great!

They filmed four hours of footage that day, that would be whittled down to a 90 minute show. All week long, on the hour, Walf TV played a 30 second publicity spot, advertising the upcoming special … and about 12 of those 30 seconds was of me dancing! Everyone in the clubs kept telling me they’d seen it. Awesome!

Saturday night was my last night in Dakar. By this time, I had become friendly with the whole apartment building (everyone kept pulling me into their apartments to dance for every conceivable celebration) and when the program started, every time my image came on the screen, you could hear neighbors screaming, “Ash-LAY!!! Ashley WAYE!!!” Bamba and Fallou, who were so blasé about seeing themselves 10 million times on TV, suddenly got all nervous about seeing themselves TALKING on TV and wouldn’t watch it, but I took the whole thing in. They did an excellent job and I looked pretty damn good! WooohooooQ!

Afterwards, their phones were ringing non-stop with people congratulating them and asking them “Who IS she????”, so they said, “Look, pack your bags, put them in the back of our friend’s taxi, and let’s go out for one final dance, celebration on the way to the airport. Done. At 2:30, we arrived at a club Djilly had told us about (their first time too) and it was packed. Mbalax band playing, everyone dancing. But the minute we came in the door, to my UTTER surprise, the whole place started rhythmically chanting my name: “ASH-LAY! … ASH-LAAAAY!, ASH-LAY! …. ASH-LAAAY!” Total strangers came and picked me up off the ground, calling out my name and saying, “TOI, tu es la champione! Tu es la numero UN!!!!” The band joined in and the drummers came forward, clearing a space and insisting that I solo for them.

For the next two hours, Bamba, Fallou, Djilly, and I danced and celebrated and generally showed off! Oh, I was so high I cannot describe it. Talk about The Diva Has Landed! From there we drove to the airport (teary good-byes) where I checked in, waited, took a bus out to the plane, and walked forlornly up the stairs through the humid early morning hours. When I handed my boarding pass to the beautiful Senegalese stewardess, she said, “Hey! I saw you dancing on TV tonight! You dance so well!” WAAAAAAH !!!!

Counting the days to get back there…!

Me, painfully underdressed at a tannebeer.
Awa Cheikh, Kine, and Mame Doeur looking gloriously beautiful!


Dilly Mbaye, Mami, Bamba Gueye, Fallou Ndiaye, and Maman Mbaye
(Jimi Mbaye’s daughter and my dear friend.) Also gorgeous!

SUMMER TOUR '09 - PART 2 - Spain's FIMEC Festival

Just returned to Los Angeles after six glorious weeks out in the world: touring, performing, singing, dancing! HEAVEN! THIS IS PART #2

LONDON REHEARSALS
After five shows in the UK, I rehearsed for two days in London with a new band. A Spanish world music festival called FIMEC had invited me to perform, but wasn’t paying enough to bring my American band with me, so I gathered musicians based in England and France who would then serve as a less-expensive option for future European dates. I had three Senegalese artists: Idy Diallo (bass / France), Diene Sagna (dance / Manchester), and Cheikh Diop (sabar drums / Bristol. And also Phil Stevenson (guitar), Nick Ramm (keyboards), and Luciano Ciccotelli (drums) all based in London.

Diene Sagna, Idy Diallo, Phil Stevenson, Chiekh Diop, Nick Ramm


Oh, the Gods really loved me … what a wonderful crop of musicians! Everyone turned up prepared and ready to work hard, no ego issues, good vibes, and a general sense of excitement to be on the gig. Rehearsals were fluid, fast, and productive. YES!!!!

SPAIN!
Two days later, we met at Heathrow and I handed the Iberia representative our passports. When she quickly checked everything and printed out our boarding passes, I got all teary. I told her, “You really did something special today in treating these Senegalese artists like normal travelers without examining their passports for 10 minutes or asking 100 suspicious questions. It’s always easy to notice when things go wrong, but I want to tell you we really appreciate that.” She got emotional too, smiled, and said, “We are all one people!”

It was a positive start to a wonderful four days. An awesome English guy with long dreads named Nick Whitfield drove us for two hours from Sevilla to the city of Chiclana in the South, with everyone festive and howling with laughter in the van. We were put up in a lovely hotel and had our meals in a beautiful Spanish restaurant where we could meet the other bands from Columbia, Cuba, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco and more.

I had met FIMEC’s organizer, Andrea Morpurgo, at WOMEX 2008. A super friendly Italian long living in Spain, Andrea ran his festival with precision and bacchanalian joyfulness. Somehow everything always felt relaxed, yet managed to run on time.

ANDREA MORPURGO


Our Friday afternoon sound check was a dream. Andrea’s very professional crew of had us sounding The Bomb in no time.

SOUNDCHECK


That evening, we were the headlining band (Spanish time, that meant coming on at 1am!) The prior acts were wonderful. singer Pura Fe sounded like a world / blues / Janis Joplin / Joni Mitchell, and Gema 4 were an wonderful a cappella group of Cuban women. Andrea, who loves jam sessions, had us all perform “You Got A Friend” together before my set. Oh our voices sounded so beautiful together!

WITH CUBAN A CAPELLA GROUP: GEMA 4


At 1am, the stage was ours at last and we rocked! SOOO great to have a chordless mic, excellent musicians, tons of space to move about, and the electric Diene Sagna dancing by my side. I apologized in Italian to the audience for not speaking Spanish and wondered how they would respond to the music? Soon it was clear that they were really into it. A big pile of kids down front danced and danced (they were up onstage with me by the end), and the crowd had every generation represented. We were the evening’s only act to receive an encore!! We played a track from my new CD called “Amazing Grace” and I sang the whole song as a call and response piece. Standing there with thousands of Spaniards singing along under the stars at 2am on a warm summer evening, I thought, “This is why I am here! To do this for the rest of my life … to sing, dance, share this music, and help create a joyful / uplifting / beautiful atmosphere. What a feeling!

HEAVEN!

DANCING WITH DIENE

BOWING AFTER OUR ENCORE


The next morning we had a day to stroll around lovely Chiclana, nap, drink too much café con leche, and attend an afternoon djembe drum & dance workshop headed by another long dreadlocked Brazilian guy named Malaga … who had lived in Senegal for 13 years, played super well, and spoke fluent Wolof. (Oh, I SO want to be able to speak Wolof … I just gazed at him in admiration!)

Malaga’s group, Borom Tamba, featured a heady list of first class drummers and dancers direct from Senegal. Some of the great Pape Moussa’s brothers were dancing and, to my total delight / surprise, they said, “We know you! You dance really well!” before I even danced a step for them! Wooohooo! Diene, Cheikh, Idy, and I were in heaven!

WITH DJIBY MBAYE, DIENE, MARIA, AND CHEIKH


Borom Tamba’s show was HOT! Their dununba alone was ferocious!! Again, this was followed by an Andrea-inspired jam session, featuring singers and musicians from the other Saturday night bands: Abdeljalil Kodssi (Morocco), Piccola Banda Ikona (Italy), Buritaca (Colombia). So fun! We hit an excellent improvised groove .. international all the way!

Another late long laughing walk back to the hotel, an early van ride back to Seville the next morning, where we split onto different flights back to Heathrow. Diene, Phil, and I were the last to leave and enjoyed a last dance in the airport before getting on the plane. Truly a magic weekend.

DANCING WITH DIENE AT THE AIRPORT

SUMMER TOUR '09 - PART 1: THE U.K.

Just returned to Los Angeles after six glorious weeks out in the world: touring, performing, singing, dancing! HEAVEN!

OXFORD: TY UNWIN’S HOUSECONCERT
Everything started at Ty Unwin’s wonderful houseconcert in Oxford, England. Ty composes music for British TV and invited me to share an evening with singer-songwriter Ben Parker. Very festive atmosphere, with fans mixed in with people who trusted Ty’s (excellent) taste. : ) !!! After Ben’s sparkling and very funny set, I sang while Phil Stevenson accompanied me on guitar to a garden-full of people sitting / lying / sprawled on the grass at sunset. Ben noted dryly that it was the first time he had performed beside a garden shed!

Phil Stevenson and I looking very groovy in front of Ty Unwin's garden shed


Recording artist Howard Jones was in the audience: so positive and Present (Buddhist), and incredibly charming. He played us some wonderful tracks from his new CD before casually sitting down and singing, accompanying himself on dizzingly excellent piano. He blew everyone away. Houseconcerts are The Bomb!

Me and Tea in Deep Conversation with Howard Jones. I swear, that's the back of his head!


Between Ty Unwin (next to me on my right) and Ben Parker (in hat on my left)


Darren Young (who took the above photos) and his dear "better half," Kevin, drove all the way from Newcastle to catch this gig! I am so blessed to have such Fan Friends!


Spent a couple of days bouncing around London. (I lived there for 12 years and it’s one of my favorite cities.) I caught up with friends, sat in my fave cafes, and walked and walked and walked! Then Phil Stevenson and I flew up to Scotland.

EDINBURGH: THE BONGO CLUB
Like last time, Morag ONeill arranged the shows, and we stayed with her mad, merry, photographer friend, Marc Marnie and his lovely wife, Janet. They have a rambling, funky, converted, rabbit-warren-of-a house, love to cook and converse, and Marc uncannily knows what you might hunger for (a hot cup of tea, an omelette, a chunk of good chocolate) just before you realize you want it. When I went to take a bath, he had already poured it ... enormous, piping hot, and surrounded by candles! YES!!

Janet and Marc Marnie with Phil Stevenson


That night, we opened for Senegalese artist / group Samba Sene and Diwan at The Bongo Club. Really great vibe, a good number of Scotland-based SeneGambians, and new DJ Souleymane Seck spinning top quality mbalax from 9pm until 4am.

Samba Sene, Khadim Thiam (keyboards), Jules Sow (guitar)


The dance floor was so spacious, the tunes so tasty, and everyone so happy and festive, I literally danced for the entire 7 hours …. with 45 minute break when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Uh, Ashley? Can you go up there and do your set, please?” Highly unprofessional, but I couldn’t help it! There are NO mbalax clubs in Los Angeles, so I was blissed out beyond description.

Our set was well received, but the downer was that someone told me minutes before I went on that Michael Jackson had died. You could feel the news’ impact on the whole room … afterwards, it was as if we danced all night long in his memory. Samba’s band put on an excellent show that night, too.

GLASGOW: WEST
Arrived late (SO unlike me!) the next night at Glasgow’s WEST Brewery, due to slow cooking Senegalese food and slow-turning African time in Edinburgh. The restaurant’s well-soaked crowd was loud / having a ball and there was no PA to be seen (a miscommunication), so we had to hire a very expensive set of mics and amps at the last minute. Nonethess, we had a wonderful night. Once we got started, the music got through and I was sooo moved to see that Edinburgh’s Senegalese musician contingent (who had driven down to support us) get up to dance and sing “Lucky! Lucky! Lucky!,” I nearly burst into tears. That song is soooo for them!

LONDON: INN ON THE GREEN
The next day, flew home to London and was just leaving home for sound check at Inn on the Green, when a sudden heavy storm hit and the flat where I was staying in flooded … water POURING down the walls. I pounded on the door of the flat above, but the woman didn’t hear me for 10 minutes because the rain was so loud! When she finally let me in, I soon found myself with a bucket bailing out a huge deep blocked gutter on the roof, being pounded by rain and hail. What? We finally got the drain unplugged, but gallons and gallons of water still drained into the flat below. I threw towels everywhere, put cups and buckets beneath the dripping ceiling, and raced off to my gig. Surreal!

Because of the rain, many street and tube lines were closed, so the audience numbers were small. Carrie Slater and Chris Baker brought me take out Malasian food (bless them!) and some of my favorite friends and fans were there. Such a lovely night! Again, my Scottish-based Senegalese friends attended and the wonderful Jules Sow guested on guitar. Diene Sagna threw down some magic sabar moves and Phil Stevenson shone on guitar

FATOU GUEWEL AND SALAM DIALLO
The Senegalese hadn’t come all the way down to London just for me, though. That night, Youssou Ndour’s percussionist Mbaye Dieye Faye and singer Fatou Guewel were scheduled to perform in east London. After my show, I met with a plumber regarding the flooding, then set off on an epic 2 hour journey across London to catch the show. Arriving at 2:30 am, MDF was a no show, so it was Fatou Guewel and Salam Diallo. Salam spotted me as he came out of his dressing room and simply said, “Ash-LAY, kai fecc!” (Ashley, come dance!) before pulling me past security into the boiling festivities. Woohoo!!

The Irrespressible Salam Diallo in London in a gigantic boubou


It was an awesome night: mbalax till dawn, tons of friends, two entertaining sets, and Jules Sow dragged me up the stage during Salam’s show to do a sabar solo. Who was I to protest? : ) !!! Arrival time home? 6: 30 am

BRISTOL: ROY AND LINDSAY POPHAM’S HOUSECONCERT
After a couple hours of sleep, caught a 11am train to Bristol with Phil. Phil is an absolute DREAM guitarist and road companion: deeply musical, talented, sensitive, with a hilarious sense of humor, little ego, an even tempered, positive attitude, flexible, and the patience to put up with my unending stream of stories. I adore him!!

Roy Popham met us at the station, wearing a pink fedora. That should have given me an idea of the crowd we’d be playing for, but I couldn’t shake the image in my mind that a show at “Roy and Lindsay Popham’s for High Tea” would be a somewhat crusty British experience.

How wrong I was! Roy has long worked doing metalwork and set building for all kinds of events and his friends were “Intrepid Road Crew” material. One friend with tobacco stained fingers told me he had toured with the Grateful Dead for years. He and his teenage son both smoked spliffs in the kitchen. While Roy is a rollicking and colorful character, his wife Lindsay is warm and earthy. They were lovely hosts and their friends an intelligent, lively bunch of far-from-crusty characters. (NB: I have nothing against crusty, by the way. I love that type too!) We set up again in the garden and performed with Bristol’s Bay spread out before us. The Grateful Dead ex-employee came up me afterwards and said, “You’ve got major Californian balls, sitting down and singing like that!” Brilliant!

Phil, Lindsay, Me, Roy


Snoozed on the 9pm train back to London, but was hammered by texts from the Senegalese, begging us to come to Jules Sow’s house for a final gathering. Another night that ended at dawn, but this time I ended up face down on Jules’ couch, probably snoring and drooling!

Snoring and drooling on Jules Sow's couch at 4am


Will stop here! I LOVE ENGLAND!!!!

Yoro Ndiaye @ Just 4 You / Recording w/ Zale Seck in Montreal

In November ’08, while in Dakar, Senegal to shoot a video for the first single off my upcoming fifth CD, I finally visited a club called Just 4 You. Everyone had told me about Just 4 You … the premier acoustic / jazz / mbalax live club in Dakar where everyone from Xalam to Cheikh Lo to Youssou Ndour himself had performed. It is open-aired … with about 40 tables spread out beneath lovely trellises woven with vines. The sound is impeccable, the stage neither too small or big, and the audience a friendly and unpretentious mix of mostly Senegalese with a dollop of foreigners who genuinely love Music.


With one of Senegal’s stars of acoustic mbalax, Yoro Ndiaye


Singer Yoro Ndiaye was on that night. I had met Yoro a year before when we both sang on a track by Djibril Ndiaye Rose in Dakar. Super friendly guy, awesome singer and guitarist, with a deservedly growing profile in Senegal and Europe. That evening, Yoro invited another incredible singer / guitarist named Zale Seck (former member of Orchestra Baobab and Les Etoiles 2000) up to guest before inviting me. I sang about Obama being freshly elected (in terrible French) and then, with Guitar God Jimi Mbaye now also onstage, danced before the audience with my Goorgoorlu dancer friends. That night, it felt like I had found my True Musical Home. Two months later, I was surprised to see this video appear on YouTube with excerpts from that night. Filmed by Diane Poitras, it made my day!



Missing from the video was Zale Seck’s impressive singing. We contacted one another when I returned to California and he returned to Montreal, Canada. Long story short, Zale invited me to spend last weekend in Montreal, recording harmonies for five songs on his new CD. What a wonderful weekend!! I spent two nights with ANOTHER excellent singer named Xosluman (Oumar Ndiaye) and his lovely Canadian wife, Marie Helene, met up with, yes, ANOTHER wonderful singer named Elage Mbaye (who I’d recorded with from afar, but had never met), and spent a magical afternoon at DJ / bassist / Senegalese Music Lover Badou Bousso's house.

with Xosluman (Oumar Ndiaye), Elage Mbaye, and Nathan Mbaye


At Badou’s we ate maffe, watched music videos, chatted, and he burned me a tall stack of brilliant vintage Senegalese CDs. Heaven! It was so thrilling to talk to him about the past, present, and future of Senegalese music. Badou’s knowledge of Who’s Who and Senegal’s musical history was as awesome as his enthusiasm for foreign artists who had successfully collaborated with African music. Everyone was super charming. After spending hours hanging out, Elage Mbaye mentioned to everyone that I was the toubab who danced sabar in videos on Seneweb.com and YouTube. To my surprise, every single Senegalese person there had seen and loved those videos. How cool is that ????!!!! I told them I would need an extra seat on the plane home for my expanded head!

Elage Mbaye, Badou Boussou, and Me with exploding hair


My final day, I took a bus out to Zale Seck and his wife, Helene’s beautiful house in the Canadian countryside. We rehearsed in the morning, I napped and took a gorgeous long walk in the afternoon, and then we drove to a lovely studio even FURTHER out in the countryside in the evening. Oh, the recording session was so much fun! Every song I sang on (mostly in Wolof) was sooooo beautiful … acoustic Senegalese folk mbalax at its finest. We worked really quickly and by 3am, I had laid down up to 6 tracks of harmonies per song. To my delight, Zale and his engineer were genuinely impressed with my studio prowess. The Global Diva has landed !!!

Recording with Zale Seck


With Zale and his wonderful engineer, Donald Fleurent


Finally arrived back in Montreal at 5am, grabbed my suitcase from Oumar’s, got to the airport, and begged the woman behind the Air Canada desk for a window seat. I must have looked as if bus had run me over, because she kindly gave me three free seats, across which I gratefully snoozed for most of the 6 hour flight back to LA.

Really looking forward to working with Zale Seck, Elage Mbaye, Oumar Ndiaye, and Zale’s brilliant guitarist son, Assane Seck, again soooooon! Senegal has SO MUCH TALENT!!!!!!!

East Coat/UK tour '08, WOMEX, Dakar Video Shoot

Three weeks after returning from recording CD #5 in Dakar, I was off again! This time, I had shows in Boston, New York, Hampshire (UK), Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London, before heading on to the WOMEX world music conference in Seville, Spain, and finally, yes … lucky me!..... BACK to Dakar to film a video for my upcoming single.

BOSTON
Laura D’Onofrio, my east coast booking agent, booked me a show at Boston's The Beehive. After an overnight flight, my rehearsal with NYC guitarist Francis Jacob at Jeff Wasilko’s house was soooo sweet! After all the build up, stress, preparations, and flying, there was something so pure about those couple of hours. Jeff’s living room is all wood and cats and the acoustics were so lively, I could whisper and be heard. Francis played super tasteful guitar and we had a True Musical Conversation. Wonderful!

Ironically, The Beehive’s atmosphere was the exact opposite – loud, busy, bustling … but still fun. Having learned to flow with a venue’s energy, we played for the front row tables (full of friends) who could hear us, while providing background music for the loud restaurant tables beyond that inner circle. Everyone was happy!

Performing at the Beehive in Boston


Boston was hosting a sabar dance conference (heaven!) the weekend I was there, so Laura and I took great classes with Babacar Mbaye, Babacar Ndiaye, Mariama Basse, Marie Basse-Wlles, Ousmane Sall, and Malang Bayo. The East Coast teachers are amazing!

NEW YORK
Sunday, I enjoyed a gorgeous bus ride to New York and had a lovely show at Googie’s Lounge in the East Village. Walter played brilliantly and Afro-guitarist Raja Kassis joined us for the second half of the set, weaving his sparkling guitar lines masterfully throughout. Really fun!

Youssou Ndour’s long time manager, Thomas Rome, who had promised he would come from Connecticut to see the show, came skidding in through the doorway in time to catch the very last song. Later he told me he’d missed a train and was so mad at himself, he’d thrown a pen on the station platform. This cracked me up … a wild act of rage for a person as kind and gentle as he!

One day, when they film the biopic of my life, : ) … a pivotal scene will be of Thomas taking me out to dinner in Greenwich Village after my show. We found a place called The Pink Pony (?), and spoke at length about music, art, philosophy, and my fave subject (brainstorming about my rise to Global Diva-hood). Thomas is a visionary, plain and simple!

ENGLAND
Monday morning, caught a VERY early flight to London. I stayed with Emma and Giles O’Bryen at their big rambling Tufnell Park home, rehearsed with my UK guitarist, Phil Stevenson, took a walk on Hampstead Heath, and generally breathed in the Joy of being in my favorite city in the world.

Two days later, Phil and I put on a lunch-time concert for the students at South Downs College in Hampshire, on the invitation of Rachel Lovie; We had a hilarious lunch in the school café, which also serves as training college for waiters. They burned our sandwiches, took forever, and brought me a plate piled high with grated cheese when they misinterpreted my vegetarian order. The manager-in-training offered us stale profiteroles as an apology, which we accepted as graciously as we could without giggling. As for the show, to my delight, the students loved us! I got everyone up to sing solos on Frank and Loretta and they did some hilarious ad libs.

w/ Rachel Lovie, Phil Stevenson & stale profiteroles @ South Downs College, Hampshire


SCOTLAND
The next day, Phil and I took a train to Scotland, where we met up with booking agent, Morag Neil. She had arranged for us to perform alongside Samba Sene and his band including ex-musicians of Thione Seck, Medoune Ndiaye (tama / sabar) and Khadim Thiam (keyboards). For both our Edinburgh and Glasgow shows, Phil and I opened with an acoustic set, with Medoune and Khadim sitting in. Then when Samba performed, I danced for them, so we pooled our talents The Scots were so up for fun and enjoying themselves, brilliant!

with tama superstar Medoune Ndiaye


LONDON SHOW
Finally, we flew back to London for our return show at Inn on the Green. So great to see everyone! Chris Baker and Carrie Slater took me out for Thai food before the show (thank you!) and then the show was awesome. Tina and Dave were the perfect hosts, the audience was The Best, Senegalese guest drummers Ali Seck, Kao Seck, and Landing Mane guested, and I loved performing with Senegalese sabar dancer, Vieux Diene Sagne. He has such a radiant spirit and was an instant hit with the audience.

with Kao and Ali Seck, Landing Mane and Vieux Diene Sagna (in front)


Happiness


WOMEX ’08, SEVILLE, SPAIN
WOMEX ’08 was next! I shared a cheap pensione room with my mad Italian singer friend, Luisa Cottifogli, and we spent 5 days schmoozing madly at the conference, hearing excellent music, and hanging out with Thomas Rome and his wife, Florence. We saw local flamenco, tourist flamenco, ate waay too much cheese, drank too much coffee, walked happily ‘round Seville’s beautiful old town, and generally had an excellent time. Lots of leads to follow up on…

with the wonderful Florence Rome and visionary, Thomas Rome


DAKAR
Finally …. DAKAR! It’s difficult to describe what happens to my spirits the minute I arrive there … every molecule in my body lights up!. In the first few days, I tackled getting a video made for the song, “Try to Hide” from my upcoming CD #5. With the help of dancers Fallou Ndiaye and Bamba Gueye from the group Goorgoorlu, I found a director, rehearsed with F + B + three women, and searched for locations. The next day, director Niang first filmed us dancing in front of a green screen. Here’s me looking glamorous…



We then all piled into a Ndiaga Ndiaye bus to the Village des Artistes to film in front of some beautiful murals until the sun went down. The final shot was out by the highway, round an enormous sculpture of a tama player. A pile of kids appeared out of nowhere and ended up dancing in the video, as did a shoe seller, who jumped in front of the camera and let loose with some steps. It was a marvelous day and I am eternally grateful for all of the focus and joyful energy everyone contributed…

Fallou Ndiaye and Bamba Gueye dancing for the video @ Le Village Des Artistes, Dakar


I had thought that I would also do a second video for a song I had worked on with Djbril Ndiaye Rose, but our schedules didn’t allow that, so instead, I attended a dizzying array of soiree Senegalaises, clubs, concerts, tannebeers, and parties. Jimi Mbaye’s family shook their heads in disbelief as I would get up night after night at midnight to start dressing to leave. “Ashley (or ash - LAY),” they’d say, “You are so tired. You are not going out AGAIN?” But having missed music and dance during Ramadan, I had to grab my chance!

Without going into too much detail, all I can say is that Dakar blew my mind!. There is so much talent there…. dancers, musicians, drummers, artists of every description, it’s crazy. I spent much of the soiree Senegalaises watching with my jaw on the floor. The way the dancers can describe the tiniest of details inside the music, every bakk, every dynamic, is incredible Hanging out with Fallou and Bamba also gave me an insight into artists’ lives there, too. They face a staggering level of competition for a tiny amount of low-paying artistic gigs … it’s humbling.

One particularly wonderful night was at Just 4 You, an acoustic, open air venue with a big spread of tables, a respectful audience, and top quality musicians. Yoro Ndiaye did a lovely set, with guests like Zale Seck and Jimi Mbaye’s guesting. Yoro invited me up, where I sang about Obama winning and danced with Fallou Ndiaye and Modou Gabon in front of the stage, much to everyone’s surprise. That night I thought, “THIS is where I want to be … listening to this music, working with these musicians, collaborating RIGHT HERE.” When I move to Dakar (please, God!), I will LIVE at Just 4 You!

While in Senegal, I made some excellent connections, made new friends, and was eternally grateful for Jimi Mbaye’s family’s hospitality. His daughters, the gorgeous Maman and N’Deye Mbaye, were constant companions. Also Fallou Ndiaye was incredibly helpful and Bamba Gueye’s family was equally kind. I rehearsed, hung out, ate, and slept there and fell in love with Bamba’s whole family.

w/ brilliant producer, Ibou Ndour, at Jololi Studios in Dakar


Barack Obama!
Lastly, my sister emailed me on Wednesday morning to say that Barack Obama had been elected as our next president. Senegal was crazy happy with the news! It felt so great to be in Africa for this enormously positive step for the whole world. I cried with happiness all day long and took 10 Senegalese friends out, yes, to dance from midnight until morning. What wonderful news!

Senegal is amazing on every level. Although I am freshly back in LA, I am already wondering how I can return. Ii would love to learn Wolof, get to know my way around the city better, work more with musicians and dancers there, just generally dig in!

Watch this space! Peace and blessings to all of you who have read this far!!

Recording With Les Super Etoiles in Dakar, Senegal!

Just returned from Dakar, Senegal, where I spent three amazing weeks recording key members of Youssou Ndour’s band, Les Super Etoiles, for my 5th CD!!

Arriving at Dakar airport at 5am, Jimi Mbaye (Youssou’s guitarist) came striding in to pick me up, greeting everyone as he came. He is such a star over there … people on the street flag down his car just to tell him how much they love him. Jimi’s house was my base for the next three weeks. Since everyone was fasting during the day for Ramadan, we worked mainly at night … from 11pm until morning. Jimi is a whiz in the studio, a magnet for musicians dropping in and, of course, an insanely wonderful guitarist! I loved how he would sit in the baking midnight heat, guitar in his lap, sipping caffeine-and-sugar-packed ataya tea, smoking, and listening to the material. He’d say, “I hate you … I love this song too much!” and then launch into yet another brilliant tracks’ worth of Only-Jimi-Mbaye-Could-Play-That! guitar.

One night of guitar from midnight till dawn, I was so tired, I was practically asleep on the studio’s slender couch. However, I wouldn’t go to bed … this was history in the making! So I just lay there, shouting out, “Oh my God, that is SO BEAUTIFUL!” or “Awesome!” or “Oh, I LOVE that!” as my eyes struggled to stay open. Jimi really gave His Best to the music, which meant so much to me…

With Sabar Legend, Thio Mbaye, and Guitar God, Jimi Mbaye!


In fact, every musician blew my mind. Many consider Thio Mbaye (sabar drums) to be Senegal’s best sabar drummer and he was pure fire, creativity, humor, and enthusiasm in the studio. Thio promised to throw a gigantic sabar for me when I return in November (there was no dancing, drumming, concerts, music, soirees, parties in Dakar during Ramadan, which was soooo hard!). Can’t wait! He’s incredible!

Thio Mbaye on fire in Studio Dogo


The night Assan Thiam played tama (talking drum), my eyes kept welling up with tears. Twenty years ago, I met Youssou and Les Super Etoiles for the first time in Paris, when they recorded The Lion. I remember finding Assan alone in the studio parking lot, listening to a song on headphones, in a trance, looking up at the stars, and practicing what he’d play on tama. Since then, I have seen him enter that ecstatic musical state onstage countless times … and now here he was with that familiar joyful look on his face, playing tama … for my very own CD! Waaw waaw!!!! A very warm, funny, radiant soul.

with Tama King Assan Thiam


Abdoulaye Lo (or Laye Lo) played drums for the more mbalax-y tunes and, like the others, nailed everything in one or two takes. Their facility to find that golden musical seam that weaves so perfectly into everyone else’s parts is thrilling to witness. Another very friendly and warm person.

with Youssou Ndour’s wonderful drummer, Abdoulaye Lo


Lastly, Youssou’s backing vocalist, Birame Dieng, came in the same night as Thio Mbaye’s second session and waited a loooong time to sing. I had invited him to guest on a song called “OK” which talks about a farmer who has malaria. As the sick farmer watches TV, he realizes that he doesn’t need America’s big cars, diamond rings, or movie stars. He just needs medicine. At 3am, Birame finally took the mic and sang both an opening vocal line and a free form vocal over the ending refrain. Making it up on the spot, it was perfect the first time!!! Everyone was thrilled. He has the effortlessly beautiful voice imaginable!

with Birame “Golden Voice” Dieng


When I wasn’t blissed-out beyond description in the studio, I hung out with Jimi’s beautiful daughters, Maman and Ndeye Mbaye, plus the Goorgoorlu dancers who I’d rehearsed with last April for Bercy ’08. Much of the day was spent napping, listening to music, and chatting lazily in The Heat.

I spent many sunsets on Bamba Gueye’s rooftop with Baye Fall friends of Goorgoorlu, who would sing songs of every description (praise / sacred / funny / colloquial), accompanying themselves with percussion and bongos (not a drum … more of a calabash + thumb piano combo). I have always found sunset to be a magical time of day, and when the sun sank into the sea and the muezzins passionately sang “Allaaaaah Akbar!” from their minarets, particularly with everyone fasting and praying for Ramadan, it was sooo spiritual and beautiful.


Fallou Ndiaye and Douda singing and playing bongos. Fallou is an incredible dancer!


Djily Mbaye and his bongo…. Djily is another amazing dancer!


With Fallou Ndiaye and Djily Mbaye of the dance group: Goorgoorlu


With Fallou Ndiaye and Bamba Gueye of Goorgoorlu. Bamba is one of the kindest, sweetest, funniest people I know. And another ridiculously great dancer!


While in Dakar, I also saw many friends…
Senegal’s radiant dance star, Ndeye Gueye. We danced together at Bercy ’08.


With another Sabar Drum Master, Djibril Ndiaye Rose, and his lovely wife, Fily


Despite the heat and Ramadan, I also danced at home with Maman and Ndeye Mbaye, plus their 6-year-old niece, Ami Colle Seck, who was a blazingly talented young dancer. I called her “My Dance Professor!” Maman caught us dancing in a corridor one night:

Dancing with 7-year-old Fierce Sabar Mini Queen, Ami Colle Seck


Ran Taik! Ran Taik! Ran Taik! (a popular dance step)


For any of you who have not been to Africa, GO!!!! It is such a wonderful magical rich deep amazing place. Yes, Africa has her troubles, but there is definitely Something there that needs to be experienced directly … something of The Spirit, of Life, and Joy that we in the West hunger for.

When I disembarked from the plane in Washington, Dulles, on the way home to L.A., that’s exactly how it felt … Dull. Clean? yes. Organized? yes. On time and efficient and modern and sleek and convenient? yes! But gone was that Vibe, and Energy that I love so much in Senegal. I am very very very very lucky and blessed and grateful to have been able to work there with my musical heroes. It is the beginning of a whole new wonderful chapter and I Give Thanks and Praise! Love and blessings to all, Ashley

Singing On Cheikh Ndoye's Debut CD

Just returned from a wonderful weekend in Washington D.C., where I sang on three tracks for Senegalese jazz bassist Cheikh Ndoye's debut CD. Cheikh is super talented and a lovely person. He's confident and open minded, kind hearted and humble, full of ideas and enthusiasm for the future, with his musical roots firmly in Senegal. Yes! There are so many brilliant Senegalese musicians out there, it's wonderful to see a gifted young artist like Cheikh getting the support he needs to develop and grow.



Cheikh's producers Kevin Peter Jones and Romero Wyatt were equally charming and kind ... and the music is Niiiiiiice!! Debut records have a special energy because an artist has such an open canvas to try everything. Cheikh's bass lines are earthy and sinuous, rhythmically creative and yet spacious ... leaving lots of room for the heavy weight jazz musicians he's invited to fly above. Russell Ferrante and Karen Briggs both sound awesome on the record.

I arrived with my parts worked out in advance via from bouncing files back and forth between LA and Washington. (Thank God for Garageband!) Being behind a microphone in the studio or onstage always makes me soooo happy. My session was pretty quick on Sunday morning. Before I knew it, I was back on the plane home, with happy memories of excellent food, good conversation, wonderful people, ... and the thrill I felt at the Mall in Washington D.C. envisioning Barack and Michelle Obama living in the White House down at the end. GO OBAMA!!! GO CHEIKH!!!

Cheikh Ndoye, Yours Truly, and Zen Drum World Rhythm Master - Romero Wyatt