Music. After hours.

Music From Mali

Oumou Sangare Addresses Social Issues With An Angel Voice

April 16, 1999|By Achy Obejas.

There is something eerie in Oumou Sangare's sound: A religiosity, perhaps, in the single notes from the kamalengoni, a traditional Mali harp, a sense of constant movement in the circular rhythms, but mostly, it is in her voice -- the kind of strong, clear set of angel's pipes that seem to come straight from heaven.

Sangare, Mali's most popular singer and one of Africa's most revered artists, comes to Chicago Friday for her first solo show at the Old Town School of Folk Music. (She was here in 1994, as part of the larger group effort called Africa Fete.)

"What sets my music apart is that there is a lot of northern influence, a lot of Arab influence," says 30-year-old Sangare in her native French through an interpreter, Cheick Keita (cousin of that other African superstar, Salif Keita). "I am from the Fulani ethnic group and we are a mixed-race people, so we have all these different influences."

Mali, located in West Africa in what was once the French colonial empire, is a country of contrasts: to the north, the Sahara creates an arid plain where subsistence living is barely possible. To the south, the Niger and Senegal Rivers create fertile deltas where population centers grow. Mali is a black country but with an ancient history as a Muslim center of learning.

"What I play is called `wassolou,' which is a distinct musical identity," says Sangare.

What separates it from much African music is not just the prominence of the kamalengoni but also the absence of the guitarlike kora. In addition, it is a music designed for social messages.

"The tradition is to use the lyrics in a poetic way, to speak to the world," says Sangare, whose first recording, at age 21, had such resonance that it sold 200,000 in a matter of months.

Her most basic themes are the conditions of African women and the plight of exiles.

"What I admire in the West is that women go to school, know their rights, know how to live their lives, make their own decisions," says Sangare, who was deeply affected by the sufferings of her mother, the first wife in a traditional polygamous marriage. "Women in Africa don't have much control over the direction of their lives. I try to convey a sense of self-confidence, so that they can be more certain in the way they want to live their lives." (She herself is her husband's sole wife. They have a 4-year-old son.)

Because Africa is in such constant economic and political turmoil, exile has become a fairly common topic in African music, but for Sangare, the important point is to return home.

"I think it's fine to go into exile, but it's important to gain something to bring back home," she says. "The word mali, in our language, means hippopotamus. The hippo leaves the water, goes outside looking for food, but comes back."

When she travels, she listens to a lot of Bob Marley and other music that evokes a sense of yearning, of nostalgia.

"But when I'm home in Mali, I only listen to Malian artists," she says. "I can only hear Mali music then."

- - -

One of the most startling and surprisingly warm performances seen out there in underground Chicago was a couple of years ago, when Paul Tamney took on the title character of Greg Allen's "K," an adaption of Franz Kafka's "The Trial."

Never mind how difficult the role might have been under any circumstances. What made it even more challenging was Allen's edict: "Don't act."

A veteran of many a storefront troupe -- including the Curious Theater Branch, which used to direct by collective -- Tamney took it in all in stride. His K was a pawn, of course, but with a touching humanity -- and a wink.

"Don't act, okay!" he said, all eager, then just found the K in himself.

Last November, Tamney suffered a stroke. Like a lot of actors, he doesn't have insurance, and the bills are up to the ceiling.

But Tamney is much loved, especially by his peers, who have put together a hell of a benefit to raise money for his care. Bands such as Tallulah, Family Problem and Whiskey Drill, plus Michael Zerang, Bryn Magnus, Jenny Magnus, Vernon Storges, Jeff Dorchen, Allen and many others are contributing.

Show time is 7 p.m. Monday at the Neofuturarium. But you can send money directly to Tamney at the Curious Theater Branch, 2827 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60657.


the facts

Friday, 8 p.m., Oumou Sangare, Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-728-6000. Old Town is wheelchair accessible.

Monday, 7 p.m., benefit for Paul Tamney, Neofuturarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. 773-327-6666.