The Voodoo Music experience

7th November 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

The Voodoo Music Expe­rience, October 28 — 30, seems to have further captured the attention of music fans beyond those into heavy metal, hard rock, pop and rap. The diverse music schedule that boasted many New Orleans artists and unusual mixes drew a more mature and local audience. They have now found their niche particularly at a trio of side-by-side venues — the Preservation Hall, WWOZ and Bingo Parlor stages that offered world music, jazz, funk, African and even a bit of country. The younger crowd, which usually hangs at the large Le Ritual Voodoo stage or the DJ/dance area drifted over to catch some New Orleans and beyond flavors.

The highlight of the festival is the setting in City Park. Im­mediately when walking through the gate behind the New Orleans Museum of Art one is taken aback by the beauty of the tree-lined streets that serve as pedestrian walkways. The usually serene area was again transformed into a carnival of sorts with art installations, food and beverage booths, costumed revelers (after all it was Halloween weekend) with the music emanating from the various venues acting as a soundtrack. At night, when the colorful lights from the Ferris wheel and other amusement park rides — new additions at this year’s event — plus those from the stages, glowed, City Park became a wonderland.

The Kora Konnection proved to be a mellow start for the three-day weekend and typified the diversity that lay ahead. It was as if the group’s co-leader, kora player and griot Morikeba Kouyate, a native of Senegal, West Africa, and Connecticut-born, New Orleans resident, jazz saxophonist Tim Green were born to play together. The rhythms and harmonies between them and the rest of the group flowed with great spirit and spontaneity.

There are some out-of-town acts that just capture the hearts of New Orleanians. Think Frankie Beverly and Maze or even traditional jazz trumpeter Doc Cheatham. We just seem to adopt them as our own. Of late, two such, more modern groups, have found their way into the hearts and bones of locals. Red Baraat found an enthusiastic following after its performance at the 2011 Jazz & Heritage Festival. The New York-based ensemble unusually marries styles of northern India and those of funky brass bands. Therefore it’s easy to understand why the crowd at the WWOZ stage could relate to the group — hey, horns, we get it, drums — Red Baraat utilizes the Indian dhol — we get it.

Similarly, Ozomatli, a band from Los Angeles, is horn-heavy and fun-loving though it’s also know for its political activism. It too combined a myriad of influences — salsa, hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues and even Arabic — though complete with an ever-present underlying Latin base. These guys were all over the stage, prowling the bandstand with enthusiasm. One handsome young vocalist and timbale player, wearing a gorgeous aqua satin suit, continually stood on top of the stage monitors when he sang. Ozomatli began with a tune akin to “Louie Louie” and had the audience singing along to “It Was Just My Imagination.” Once again, horns and drums ruled — some hot guitar and keys too — all manned by excellent, exuberant musicians.

Staying on that subject of horns and drums, our own Soul Rebels put on a super-tight show that combined old favorites like “Let Your Mind Be Free” and material from its upcoming album, Unlock Your Mind, due out in January 2012. Perhaps what was most impressive was the musicians’ very clean vocal harmonies. Those can often be problematic for brass bands that, unlike the Rebels, often play the streets where their vocals aren’t miked. The Rebels’ tuba player had particular fun this day when the members of the Soul Rebels got into their choreographed dance steps. He purposefully went the opposite way of the group that resulted in lots of laughter. Cyril Neville, who was seen all over the place sitting in with the Meters and Dr. John, fit in well with the Rebels on a reggae groove.

That brings us up to Sunday, a beautiful warm afternoon that really highlighted New Orleans’ contribution to the sound of music. Though the Saints lost in regrettably bad fashion, those at the Voodoo Music Experience had reason to celebrate being just where they were. We had Dr. John to soothe our souls playing familiar and so appropriate anthems like “I’ve Been Hoodooed,” with his knockout band. Notably, in the good doctor’s group, everybody, save the horn section sang. That was and has always also been true of the original Meters that revived its great hits like “Sissy Strut” and “Fiyo on the Bayou.” “We floated up from the coffin one more time,” declared bassist George Porter at the beginning of the set. Art Neville, aptly nicknamed Poppa Funk, smiled and went on to scream on the big B-3 organ during a set that was full of funk and fun.

It was only regretful that when Dr. John played the somewhat eerie “Walk on Gilded Splinters” it wasn’t performed in the dark of night with the shadows of the oak trees providing an ultimate effect. Likewise, Dr. John and the Meters should have performed back-to-back for the greatest impact.

Two other complaints that should be easily and fairly inexpensively remedied was the lack of port-o-lets — Saturday’s lines were atrocious — and trash cans. Just do it.

The Voodoo Experience isn’t cheap — okay it can take a bite — but it’s worth stashing away a few bucks for. It’s a magical experience from the great music to strolling through a resplendently transformed City Park to seeing the glistening lights atop the Ferris wheel.

This article was originally published in the November 7, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper