Part of this chock full weekend was spent taking in great music, for free, at "La Fete de Marquette", yet another of local promoter Bob Queen's cool local festivals in Madison. The 3-day (plus some extra on Thursday) festival coincides with Bastille Day, and highlights French music from around the globe, including Cajun/Zydeco/New Orleans, as well as Senegal and Ivory Coast. Follow the Fete link to see bios of the bands, and more.
Since this is a photo blog and not a music blog, you now get photos rather than audio links...
La Fete de Marquette
This woman from Ivory Coast of Africa (and Paris), R-O-C-K-E-D the crowd on Friday night. She sang with passion and power, and prowled the stage like a panther. As we were leaving, we overheard a handful of comments about the show, and everyone commented on how athletic and muscular she is. See her live if you get a chance.
Dobet Gnahore
Dobet Gnahore
Saturday night closed with a performance by Senegalese artist Fallou Dieng. I can't say it better than the blurb in the Fete link above does, so here's the quote: "[This] is beautifully crafted music, where the relentless, random polyrhythms of mbalax contrast perfectly with Fallou's lyrical, versatile voice...funky, jazzy, afro-pop, but the tama and sabar drums are unmistakeably Senegal." Relentless yes. And he and his fellow musicians were showmen as well, working the crowd with humor and charm.
Fallou Dieng
part of Fallou Dieng's band
This fellow's acrobatic, and suggestive antics were both amazing and hilarious. Part of his schtick was emphasizing the size and ability of his manhood through dance. No doubt about it though, he had power, stamina, and grace.
Amazing Leap
One of the things I love about this sort of East Side event is that it really pulls in a diverse crowd of happy people as this crowd shot displays.
Happy Crowd
And in this rich melange of people, there is always some beauty that catches your eye. This woman was right behind me while I was taking a bunch of photos, and I thought I'd share her beauty with you.
Beauty in the Front Row
Sunday, July 13, 2008
La Fete de Marquette
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