Manchester International Festival @ Pavilion Theatre, Manchester, 7 July 2009
Amadou & Mariam and The Beating Wing Orchestra
It it fitting that tonight's show should fall on the same night as the memorial for
Michael Jackson. While Los Angeles, and the entire world, celebrates an unlikely life, one
of music's most unlikeliest stories continues to thrill its audience.
Amadou & Mariam's story is one of modern music's truest fairy tales. Blind since early
childhood, the couple met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind. Companionship and a
shared love for music gave them solace, and since 1974, their blend of African blues, soul
and jazz has garnered an ever-increasing worldwide following. Their latest recording,
Welcome To Mali - which tonight's show leans on - is widely regarded as last year's
outsider-come-crossover triumph.
But tonight isn't just about the leading pair. Unlikely stories are commonplace under
Manchester International Festival's purpose-built marquee-come-circus top, known as the
Pavilion. Behind Amadou & Mariam stands more than just a collection of session musicians.
In many ways, the lives of many of the members of the Beating Wing Orchestra are as
remarkable as the couple they are performing with.
Composed of musicians from Kurdistan and Cameroon, Bangladesh and Brazil, the Beating Wing Orchestra is made
up of refugees, asylum seekers and a sprinkling of local musicians - some of whom have
incredible stories to tell and all of whom, as this night proves, clearly possess a great
deal of musical talent.
The Malian pair enter the stage and nervously address the expectant audience. Dressed in
elegant African robes with gold decoration, it's impossible to feel anything other than a
little under-dressed as I stand, apologetically, in t-shirt, jeans and trainers. But,
despite my own self-conscious sartorial concerns, tonight's audience is a rather smart
bunch. A bit older than one might expect, it does feel like we're surrounded by plenty of
well-heeled broadsheet readers.
Amadou & Mariam perform the first couple of songs without accompaniment. While the venue
isn't particularly large, it feels like a rather restrained start. Happily, the
introduction of the Beating Wing Orchestra raises both volume and temperature. The
delicious African groove of Welcome To Mali suddenly fills the marquee, tempting those who
previously had hands in flannel pockets to shuffle their feet and sway their hips. A
darkened space in Manchester's city centre is now bursting with Malian rhythms and the warm
glow of African melody.
Welcome To Mali's most memorable moments resound with a renewed vibrancy. Inspired by
the Beating Wing Orchestra's ceaseless energy and visible enthusiasm, tracks such as
Ce N'est Pas Bon, Djuru and I Follow You elicit broad smiles throughout the venue, as their
infectious rhythms take hold. During the latter song, Mariam tenderly embraces her beau, as
he skillfully arpeggios along the fretboard a gleaming gold Fender guitar. It's an intimate
moment for an intimate occasion.
With Amadou & Mariam's diary being as it is now, catching them in such close quarters is
something of a privilege. An early, daytime slot at Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage is all well
and good, but it just can't compete with tonight's rarefied atmosphere. As the
unlikely stars take their final bow, Manchester gushes in collective appreciation.
GIG:
