# AfroCubism **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387 "2011-07-09T05:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/1 "2011-07-09T05:20:13Z")
If you haven’t heard this group, and you like this type of music, I highly recommend it. We just got back from a concert (one of the lucky four cities getting a look) and it was a terrific fusion of Malian and Cuban music with Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate, and Eliades Ochoa, to name a few of the musicians. I think they’re going to San Francisco next and then Quebec. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/2 "2011-07-09T15:22:49Z")
Thanks for the heads-up. I’m not familiar with them, but plan to check them out. YouTube, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/3 "2011-07-09T19:16:35Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Thanks for the heads-up. I’m not familiar with them, but plan to check them out. YouTube, maybe? There are some amateur vidos taken at concerts, and some uploaded audios. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/4 "2011-07-09T19:25:45Z")
This one is impressive, if it’s a good example: [AfroCubism - 'Al vaiven de mi caretta' - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXMyK6hbQZc) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/5 "2011-07-09T19:44:16Z")
Does this remind you of _Heart and Soul_ and other “turnaround” songs? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1PKdK_68r0A/hqdefault.jpg "Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Kala Djula") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKdK_68r0A) Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Kala Djula ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/6 "2011-07-09T20:00:15Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Does this remind you of _Heart and Soul_ and other “turnaround” songs? > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKdK\_68r0A](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKdK_68r0A) > Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Kala Djula That definitely has the underlying H&S tune going for it. The other one you linked to is a good example of the seamless fusion between the African and Cuban music. Now imagine something much more forceful that includes two trumpets and a set of timbales. The African drummer held the [talking drum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_drum) (I have one of these, a kora and a balafon in my basement somewhere) under his left arm, and alternated striking it and his bass gourd with the right hand to great effect. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/7 "2011-07-09T20:13:02Z")
I realize this is a bit afield from your main topic, but the comments about the horns made me think of [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-mqWWXQrWo) I love the talking drum, too. There’s not much drum I don’t like! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/8 "2011-07-09T20:49:07Z")
[This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOMxaK4GMyE) is more like what we were hearing and seeing. In this case, the Malian drummer is playing not one, but two talking drums, and there is a set of congas in the background. The kora is very prominent, as is the balafon. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/9 "2011-07-09T21:01:56Z")
Fine stuff! It made me think of a connection you might enjoy: [Throw Down Your Heart - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDCxaQhhL0A) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afrocubism/588387/10 "2011-07-10T13:55:45Z")
I got the album a month or two ago and have been enjoying it a lot.