Soumu: An African Celebration of Music, Food and Dance
by Kelly Denson
On Thursday February 19, New Mountain will host Asheville’s 3rd annual Soumu.
Soumu, which is a West African term for an all-encompassing party featuring music, dance, food, and art, began as a fundraiser in 2011 when Adama Dembele, a 33rd generation West African musician and Asheville favorite, needed financial support to obtain his green card. The community came out in force, creating a sold-out event at the YMI building, and raising enough money to cover legal costs so that Adama Dembele now has his permanent green card.
The tradition continues with new special guests each year. Dembele and his band, Zansa, have kept up this celebration of the culture of his native home in Cote d’Ivoire. This year the Soumu features the NC Piedmont-based band, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba.
Traditional African food by local Chef Soce will be available for purchase, and attendees can shop in an “African Marketplace” of native wares. This year, children will enjoy creating African art in the kids craft area. There will also be surprise guest performances by drummers, dancers, and musicians.
About Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
Combining passionate originality and fierce authenticity, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba take West African dance music into new territory — literally, the North Carolina Piedmont. That’s where Cissokho, a griot born to a family of professional musicians in Senegal, has made his transplanted home.
The repertoire is pure Manding, the centuries-old musical culture of Cissokho’s ancestors. It’s reformulated with modern impulses in a rock band format: agile basslines interweave with the melodic twins of kora and electric guitar, supported by an explosive rhythm section of djembe and trapset drums.
Kora master Cissokho is also the group’s vocal frontman. His electrifying voice propels songs, both old and new, about timeless themes of mythology, migration, and universal love. Irrepressible dance grooves, serpentine guitar work, and Cissokho’s soulful vocals and kora illuminate stories of ancient West Africa in a globalizing world. In fact, “universal love” is a rough translation of “Kaira Ba,” a promise the band communicates live.
The 3rd Annual Soumu takes place Thursday, February 19 at New Mountain, 38 North French Broad Ave., Asheville. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Tickets: $12 in advance; $15 at the door. Children under 12 are half price. Children under 5 are free. All ages. African food available, not included in ticket cost. Tickets are available at New Mountain or online at www.ashevillesoumu.com.
