# Alsarah & the Nubatones at Zellerbach Hall Auditorium, November 8, 2019

[Cal Performances](https://calperformances.org/performances/2019-20/vocal-celebration/afropop-spectacular-sahara-soul-with-alsarah-and-the-nubatones-and-sidi-toure.php) presents an Afropop Spectacular featuring [Alsarah & the Nubatones](https://www.alsarah.com/) and opener, [Natu Camara](https://www.natucamara.com/)  
[Zellerbach Hall Auditorium](https://calperformances.org/visit/venues/zh.php)  
[U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94305 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=U.C.+Berkeley,+Bancroft+Way+at+Telegraph+Ave,+Berkeley,+CA+94305+USA&hl=en)  
8:00 PM, Friday, November 8, 2019

[[2019-11-07|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2019|Up to the 2019 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2019#November_events|Up to the 2019 event list!]] ☸ [[2019-11-10|On to the next event!]]

## Set One: Natu Camara

[8:09 PM lights down, announcements; 8:10 PM band out]

01. [8:12 PM] _Dimedi_
02. [8:18 PM] _Nnakhounde_
03. [8:25 PM] _Waa_  
[8:29 PM; NC introduces next tune as a song for child brides]
04. [8:30 PM] _Momi Hidda_  
[8:37 PM; NC introduces next tune as a political song that got her in trouble at home in Guinea; takes off her guitar for the next few tunes]
05. [8:37 PM] _Arabama Di_  
[8:41 PM; NC says that women shouldn't give up their self-control over love]
06. [8:42 PM] _Monstre_
07. [8:49 PM] _Gonlein_  
[8:53 PM; NC gets philosophical; picks up the guitar again]
08. [8:53 PM] _No Body Said_  
[8:58 PM; NC takes off the guitar; introduces next tune as a Tanzanian one by Miriam Makeba]
09. [8:58 PM] _Malaka_  
[9:03 PM; NC tells her White Bird story]
10. [9:04 PM] _Khony_
11. [9:10 PM] _Amassoukhou_  
[9:18 PM; NC story about Guinean village life & then she rehearses the clapping song with the audience]
12. [9:20 PM] _Ka Hirde_  
[set ends 9:27 PM; all off after sing-along up front]

### Performers

* [Matthew Albeck](https://www.facebook.com/matthew.albeck.7): guitar, harmony vox;
* [Natu Camara](https://www.natucamara.com/): guitar, vox;
* [Oscar Amos Debe](https://www.facebook.com/oscar.debe): drums, harmony vox;
* [Rocco Dellaneve](https://www.facebook.com/rocco.dellaneve): keyboard, harmony vox;
* [Foluso Mimy](https://www.facebook.com/folusomimy/): percussion, djembe, congas, hand percussion;
* Djibril Toure: bass, harmony vox;
* [Lindsey Wilson](https://www.facebook.com/LindseyWilsonLive/): backing vox.

## Set Two: Alsarah & the Nubatones

[9:48 PM lights down; PA music faded out; band out]

01. [9:49 PM] _Salam Nubia_
02. [9:57 PM] [welcome from Alsarah]; (oud solo introduction) »
03. [10:01 PM] _3yan T3ban_
04. [10:05 PM] _Nuba Noutou_  
[10:12 PM; Alsarah gets talkin' about revolution]
05. [10:14 PM] _Manara_
06. [10:20 PM] (unidentified tune \#1; "Habibi" chorus; definitely not the same as t13!)
07. [10:24 PM] (unidentified tune \#2; slow Arabic section > fast English "like the sun and moon and the edge of the night" > slow Arabic > fast English)
08. [10:31 PM] (oud solo introduction) »
09. [10:33 PM] (unidentified tune \#3; slow tempo)
10. [10:38 PM] (unidentified tune \#4; Motown groove, English lyrics "baby I have loved you for oh so long" ... "bye-bye, baby, bye")
11. [10:43 PM] _Fulani_
12. [10:46 PM] _Soukura (It's Late)_  
[10:57 PM; thanks to crew and crowd plus band introduction over unidentified groove]
13. [10:59 PM] _Habibi Taal_  
[show ends 11:03 PM; done! the crowd hoots and hollers for more to no avail]

### Performers

[Alsarah & the Nubatones](https://www.alsarah.com/)

* [Alsarah](https://www.alsarah.com/): vox;
* [Rami El-Aasser](http://ramitabla.com/): tabla, darbuka, drums, percussion;
* [Mawuena Kodjovi](https://www.mawuenakodjovi.com/): bass;
* Nahid: harmony vox;
* [Brandon Terzic](https://www.facebook.com/brandon.terzic): oud.

## Notes

Update, 8/27/2019: Due to difficulties in obtaining a US visa, Sidi Touré has cancelled his US tour, including his Berkeley appearance as part of the Afropop Spectacular. He will be replaced by Natu Camara.

Lou Fancher posted a [promo article](https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/natu-camaras-songs-of-healing/Content?oid=27893193) about Natu for the East Bay Express after interviewing her on the phone.

Tonight's show was great, but the venue was sadly undersold. Given that both groups ought to be reasonably well known by the greater bay area musical community, I'm going to guess that the lack of attendance is indicative of a general downturn in the economic well-being of the folks who would normally come out for this sort of thing: if the choice is between saving money to cover your rent or heading out for a night on the town, the latter choice is going to take a hit! Of course, that's just blowing smoke on my part, and there's plenty other reasons why turnout was low. A little sad (since that full house energy is good for pumping up the performances), but heck, what can you do once you're there?

Anyways, I though both sets were great. Totally different from one another. Both well worth seeing again!

I tried my best to ID the various tunes, but between my inability to transliterate Arabic lyrics and the absence of helpful introductions, I only figured out a few from Alsarah's set. Sometimes you gotta settle for doing your best, even when it's not good enough for the task at hand.

Waleed Shah posted a bunch of cool photos of Alsarah & Nahid in the Abu Dhabi desert (and a few concert photos too!) on his [blog](https://www.waleedshah.ae/alsarah-and-the-nubatones-uae/)

[Program Notes](https://calperformances.org/learn/program_notes/2019-20/pn_afropop_spectacular.pdf) or {{:2019:2019-11:pn_afropop_spectacular.pdf|program notes}}

## Photos

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

{{gallery>:2019:2019-11?20191108-*.jpg}}

{{:wip.png?nolink}}  **Whoa!**  This section is incomplete for now, sorry! {{:wip.png?nolink}}

{{tag>music Alsarah_&_the_Nubatones Natu_Camara Zellerbach_Hall_Auditorium Alsarah Rami_El-Aasser Mawuena_Kodjovi Nahid Brandon_Terzic Matthew_Albeck Oscar_Amos_Debe Rocco_Dellaneve Foluso_Mimy Djibril_Toure Lindsey_Wilson}}

[[2019-11-07|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2019|Up to the 2019 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2019#November_events|Up to the 2019 event list!]] ☸ [[2019-11-10|On to the next event!]]