Vancouver Folk Music Festival notes
By Alexander Varty and Tony Montague
Zal Idrissa Sissokho gave the Vancouver Folk Music Festival’s 32nd edition a perfect global liftoff on Friday night (July 17). While the audience baked in the sun, the Senegalese kora player and singer—now a Montreal resident—and his Buntalo quintet delivered a shimmering set of music that ranged from traditional chants to original Afro-funk. The rippling arpeggios Sissokho plucked on his 21-string West African harp felt like cooling water. It was great music for dancing. People were listening intently and stayed hushed throughout Iron and Wine’s set. Singer-songwriter Sam Beam beguiled the crowd with his soft voice, beautifully nuanced phrasing, and finely wrought verses. Inspired by the beauty of the setting—to which he referred several times—the Austin-based artist delivered a masterly set of acoustic Americana that had a spiritual undertow and a poetic richness…
A number of informal collaboratories sprang up during the 2009 festival, with one of the most successful happening at Stage 6on Saturday afternoon (July 18). Spearheaded by British guitarist Justin Adams, Soul Science found musicians from three continents—Africa, Europe, and North America—working together as one band rather than taking turns at the microphone. After a somewhat tentative start, Adams and his musical partner Juldeh Camara joined kora master Zal Idrissa Sissokho and singer Tapa Diarra, American songster Corey Harris, and Pender Island guitarist Lester Quitzau’s trio in a rolling Afro-blues super-jam that eventually garnered a standing ovation. “That was the best thing I’ve ever heard here,” said one festival veteran, and we’re not going to dispute his claim…
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