Chicago, Illinois, USA – Mauritanian singer
Malouma will be performing
Monday, April 11, at 7p.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater (Chicago). Admission
is free.
Malouma is both a respected artist and a controversial
advocate for women’s rights. She has a pan-African and trans-continental style
that pays tribute to Mali’s guitarists, America’s great blues singers and is
suffused with Moorish and European influences. She is backed by guitars and tidinit, with additions of both folk and modern instrumentation.Malouma has harmonized traditional pentatonic Mauritanian music with other folk
music forms, notably blues. She has met a group of young Mauritanian musicians,
the Sahel Hawl Blues, and they have soon tied bonds. Driven by the same
concern-to be both rooted in traditional music and open to modern western
music-the band, made up of ten young musicians, has integrated all the
components of modern-day Mauritania: rich inspirational sources and multiple
cultures (Moorish, Fulani, Tukulor [also known as Toucouleur], Soninke, Wolof,
and Haratin).
Public programs are presented by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural
Affairs. Public programs at the Chicago Cultural Center are partially supported
by grants from the Chicago Cultural Center Foundation and the Illinois Arts
Council, a state agency.
[Photo courtesy of Pirineos Sur].
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
