Bombino Concert

            This Wednesday our class took a field trip to a concert by Bombino. Omara Moctar, stage named “Bombino”, is an internationally acclaimed Tuareg guitarist and singer-songwriter from Niger. He came out with traditional garb on and three backup singers and musicians dressed similarly.

            The pieces of Bombino’s concert were better than I expected. I was not thrilled about the choice of field trip, but once he started to play I got into it. Though I could not understand him, the music sounded mixed with a modern aesthetic. It was like listening to something I would usually listen to but in another language. So, yes, his pieces were mostly accessible besides the language barrier. Yet, because of the language barrier I don’t think I truly understood the songs or got any deeper meaning that wasn’t just nice to the ears. Lyrics to a sound are definitely important to me as a writer and reader—I want to know the story and point of view.

            Bombino presented his music in a way that seemed very normal to what Westerners are used to. It was a regular stage, with a regular set up. However, there were some things that I noticed. Like mentioned before, they were all garbed in foreign attire. Bombino had an interesting way of moving and tapping his feet to the music. Their instruments were Western, but like someone said before in class, they didn’t seem the best quality. This did not stop them from doing great with what they had and communicating to the Western audience in a way that grabbed their attention and also made them feel connected and attainable.

            The concert was performed in an American university auditorium. The audience was mostly white, American, and at least half or more college-aged. It was a fascinating mix between an older African singer and younger American listeners. However, the audience to me, was pretty irritating. Towards the beginning of the concert a lot of students got up and started dancing up front, ruining the formal mood and blocking the seated audience members. Maybe this was a good thing that showed the audience was getting into the music, but I thought it was a bit unnecessary, chaotic, and rude. For example, the elderly couple next to me were complaining about how they couldn’t see and the whole time a guy who obviously had never showered in his life was dancing next to us, so they had to more to escape the odor (I braved it out.)

            One thing I particularly liked is when Bombino switched from the acoustic guitar to the electric guitar and the drummer to an electric as well. There was immediately a change in the environment. It went from calm and dreamy to exciting and passionate. That was something I enjoyed listening to. It conveyed a lot of soul. It had the audience dancing more wildly than before, whether that was a good or bad thing. Before, I was not bored, but it made me sleepy, yet when the electric music started to play I was woken up and ready to listen.