Toubab Krewe
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
instrumental band which fuses the music of Mali
Music of Mali
The Music of Mali is dominated by forms derived from the ancient Mande Empire. The Mande people make up most of the country's population, and their musicians, professional performers called jeliw , have produced a vibrant popular music scene alongside traditional folk music...
with American musical styles (particularly those of the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
). The group's instrumentation includes kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
(21-string harp-lute), kamelengoni (12-string harp-lute), soku
Soku
A soku is a traditional West African instrument used in a type of music called Wassoulou which originated in the Wasulu region of southwest Mali. It is a traditional fiddle, sometimes replaced by modernized versions of the instrument. Known as the n'diaraka or njarka in Songhai, it is composed of...
(Malian horsehair fiddle), two electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, electric bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drum set, and African percussion. The group, which is based in Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, was founded in early 2005 and has traveled to West Africa several times, working with local musicians. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2005, which was recorded by Steven Heller
Steven Heller (composer-producer)
Steven Heller is a producer-composer, based in Asheville, North Carolina, who has won two Grammy Awards, as well as a number of national awards for his music and recordings...
at Upstream Records in Asheville, North Carolina. The band released their second album "TK2" on September 7, 2010 on the Nat Geo Music label. Again, it was produced by Steven Heller
Steven Heller (composer-producer)
Steven Heller is a producer-composer, based in Asheville, North Carolina, who has won two Grammy Awards, as well as a number of national awards for his music and recordings...
).
In several West African languages, including Bambara and Wolof, Toubab means "foreigner." "Krewe" is a reference to the New Orleans region's spelling of the word "Crew."
Live performances
Toubab Krewe has performed at some of the largest attended music festivals in the United States, including the Bonnaroo Music FestivalBonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
in Manchester
Manchester, Tennessee
Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,102 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, MerleFest
MerleFest
MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College . The festival, which is held the last weekend in April, is hosted by Grammy Award winner Doc Watson and is named in memory and honor of his son, Eddy Merle Watson,...
, MagnoliaFest, High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival is a multi-day music festival held in Quincy, California, a mountainous area about 80 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada.The festival is held each year the weekend of July 4...
, 10,000 Lakes Festival, Vegoose
Vegoose
Vegoose was an annual Halloween music and arts festival that took place in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike the Bonnaroo Music Festival — put on by the same organizers, Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment — Vegoose does not offer on-site camping...
, Lotus World Music and Art Festival among countless others. Toubab Krewe also performed in January 2007 at the Desert Music Festival
Desert Music Festival
The Festival au Désert is an annual concert in Essakane, Mali, showcasing traditional Tuareg music as well as music from around the world. The Tuareg band Tinariwen first garnered international attention with their performance at the 2001 Festival.A French language documentary entitled Le...
in Essakane
Essakane
Essakane is a rural commune and village of the Cercle of Goundam in the Tombouctou Region of Mali. The commune includes around 16 small settlements. The small village of Essakane is around 70 kilometers west of the town of Timbuktu...
, Mali, Music on the Mountaintop in Boone, NC and at the 2009 Rothbury Music Festival, in Rothbury, MI, the 2009 Bear Creek Music Festival in Live Oak, FL. as well as their most recent performance on board Jam Cruise
Jam Cruise
Held annually in January, Jam Cruise is a music festival on a cruise ship. It features artists of the jam band genre playing at multiple venues aboard the vessel...
8.
In October 2010 Toubab Krewe performed at Voodoo Experience
Voodoo Experience
Voodoo Experience, also commonly referred to as Voodoo or Voodoo Fest, is a multi-day music and arts festival held in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. It was first held on Halloween weekend in 1999. It has since moved between the weekend before Halloween and Halloween weekend throughout the years...
in New Orleans.
Toubab Krewe recently performed at All Good Music Festival
All Good Music Festival
The All Good Music Festival and Camp Out is a weekend-long event held annually in July. Since its inception in 1997, it has been held at venues along the Mid-Atlantic, including Masontown, West Virginia and locations in Maryland and Virginia...
in Masontown, West Virginia, July 15, 2011.
Toubab Krewe performed at the Crystal Bay Club in Crystal Bay, NV on November 8th 2011.
Members
- Teal Brown - drum set (2005 - 2011)
- Vic Stafford - drum set (2011)
- Drew Heller - electric guitar and soku
- Justin Perkins - kora, kamelengoni, and electric guitar
- David Pransky - electric bass guitar
- Luke Quaranta - percussion