Makan normally hold their events on a Wednesady, which, as it a school night, means that we haven't managed to get over there yet. The P's went there last time they visited and really enjoyed the traditional music they played, so I was pleased when the email group said that an event would be on this weekend; Waterproof Live.
I went along with Phil and we were very happy to see what was on offer - even though we had no idea what it really was apart from being two visiting Ducth musicians who would play their "unique" music along with some cross-cultural collaborations with the Makan muscians.
You've got to be suspicious when you hear someone describe their music as "unique", but in the flyer it was also described as "challenging" and "modern musical expressions and techniques". Hhmmmm
Having the performance I would describe it as all of these things. I enjoyed the night, more for finding the music and its construction interesting than really appreciating and enjoying the music itself.
So onto the music itself; the first half was the Dutch pair with loops and brass. They had the loops set up and a console each. At first they played ih harmony (she on a trumpet and he on a tenor sax) then once the loop started they added in between the rests and on top of the original tune. Nice, nearly too "free jazz" for me, but cool to see it constructure. After a tame introduction they went on to some musical expressions. This tallied with the video - that was projected above them onto a beautifully crumbling wall - showing waves at first and then sea birds. The sound was smooth at first on the brass, but then when the sea birds came the sax suddenly became all squarky (!), forcing the sound through in an agressive way. The musician was contorting his body and putting himself between the bell and the microphone to distort the sound. This is what I guess they describe as "challenging".
Tea and karkade were indeed "served" as the flyer promised. Phil and I had some karkade and we added some sugar to sweeten, but not as much as you'd get in Fishawi's. For the second half some Egyptian musicians were invited to join them on stage for some collaborative pieces. These musicians included another sax player, a percussionist and then a female singer and a male singer who was also playing some percussion. The real addition here was the percussion, and the singers bringing in some strong voices to the pieces. Things got a bit experimental again when the female singer put some up-turned clay bowls in two deep trays of water and then started hitting them with sticks. A nice idea for a new sound, but unfortunatly nothing was raelly picked up on the microphones.
What was nice in a way was seeing the evolution of a piece - as the musicians were really "jamming" rather than putting on a polished performance. It was interesting to see the female half of the Dutch pair get up and signal to band members when they should join in, when they should take a lead part and when the piece should end. This wasn't always clear to the performers it seemed, as the female singer did look round a couple of times seeking approval or verification (!) but the performance showed they were listening to each other and trying new things out.
As I said. Interesting.
What I haven't said though was the two real highlights of the evening; the first being a trip to Gad and the second being the Metro ride.
Phil and I decided to get dinner together before the concert and with her love of Egyptian fast food we went to gad on Road 9. We've been to Gad by Attabba station before and although I've spied this one on Road 9 we've never been to it before. We sat in the restuarant part (no AC, so Attabba is winning here) and browsed the menu. It had the classic "see food" but no mention of the staple, koshary, on the menu. We asked and apparently although they do all the componant parts, they do not serve koshary in the restaurant.
We quickly form a back-up plan and I go for pasta with mince meat in a bechemal sauce (we know this is yum) and I also order some baba ganough. He asks if I want chips, which was a surprise to me and I ask for "baladi aish" instead (flat round bread). Phil's favourite is tameya, which she orders, but I encourage her to order something else, as surely two little falafel will not be enough. She hasn't tried mashi before so I get her to order that - the mixed stuffed vegetables. It is here that our fist highlight takes place - Gad serve the best mashi I've tasted. Maybe it was because they were so fresh, but the stuffing was so tasty with a little tang of tomato and spice. Yum!
On to the Metro now and we find a space to stand in the women's carriage. After a few stops it is clear that this is the busy time, as lots of women and their children are getting on the train. We joke that it is like a creche here. We then hear a "meow" and look down to see a girl playing with one black and one ginger kitten around the bottom of her mother's gallabeya! She is happily playing away when we notice a boy has something in his hands; a frog! Where has he got this from and how did we end up in the zoo carriage?! While she plays with the kittens he is busy pushing the frog into people's faces and then putting him on the floor and banging the ground beside him to try and make him jump!
We nearly jump a moment later when an older lad walks down the carriage - he is selling something and brandishing his wears and nearly steps on the poor froggie. We both put our arms out to stop him, but he has seen the frog and starts to chastise the boy for scaring the women (we think). This over, his sales picth begins. He has what looks to be a kitchen implement with a wooden handle and metal stick with maybe a whisk on the end. My first guess is that it is for frothing your coffee, but then he pulls out a courgette - it is actually a corer to prepare our new favourite dish; mashi!
The girl with the kittens is about to get off, so she picks them up...but the arm! Oww! In the bustle of the train stopping we suddenly can't see the kittens anymore, but then we hear a rustle and see some movement of a black and orange shape in a white plastic bag. Yes - she is now carrying them home in a plastic bag!
As you can tell, it was an eventful journey and a great evening out all in all.
I went along with Phil and we were very happy to see what was on offer - even though we had no idea what it really was apart from being two visiting Ducth musicians who would play their "unique" music along with some cross-cultural collaborations with the Makan muscians.
You've got to be suspicious when you hear someone describe their music as "unique", but in the flyer it was also described as "challenging" and "modern musical expressions and techniques". Hhmmmm
Having the performance I would describe it as all of these things. I enjoyed the night, more for finding the music and its construction interesting than really appreciating and enjoying the music itself.
So onto the music itself; the first half was the Dutch pair with loops and brass. They had the loops set up and a console each. At first they played ih harmony (she on a trumpet and he on a tenor sax) then once the loop started they added in between the rests and on top of the original tune. Nice, nearly too "free jazz" for me, but cool to see it constructure. After a tame introduction they went on to some musical expressions. This tallied with the video - that was projected above them onto a beautifully crumbling wall - showing waves at first and then sea birds. The sound was smooth at first on the brass, but then when the sea birds came the sax suddenly became all squarky (!), forcing the sound through in an agressive way. The musician was contorting his body and putting himself between the bell and the microphone to distort the sound. This is what I guess they describe as "challenging".
Tea and karkade were indeed "served" as the flyer promised. Phil and I had some karkade and we added some sugar to sweeten, but not as much as you'd get in Fishawi's. For the second half some Egyptian musicians were invited to join them on stage for some collaborative pieces. These musicians included another sax player, a percussionist and then a female singer and a male singer who was also playing some percussion. The real addition here was the percussion, and the singers bringing in some strong voices to the pieces. Things got a bit experimental again when the female singer put some up-turned clay bowls in two deep trays of water and then started hitting them with sticks. A nice idea for a new sound, but unfortunatly nothing was raelly picked up on the microphones.
What was nice in a way was seeing the evolution of a piece - as the musicians were really "jamming" rather than putting on a polished performance. It was interesting to see the female half of the Dutch pair get up and signal to band members when they should join in, when they should take a lead part and when the piece should end. This wasn't always clear to the performers it seemed, as the female singer did look round a couple of times seeking approval or verification (!) but the performance showed they were listening to each other and trying new things out.
As I said. Interesting.
What I haven't said though was the two real highlights of the evening; the first being a trip to Gad and the second being the Metro ride.
Phil and I decided to get dinner together before the concert and with her love of Egyptian fast food we went to gad on Road 9. We've been to Gad by Attabba station before and although I've spied this one on Road 9 we've never been to it before. We sat in the restuarant part (no AC, so Attabba is winning here) and browsed the menu. It had the classic "see food" but no mention of the staple, koshary, on the menu. We asked and apparently although they do all the componant parts, they do not serve koshary in the restaurant.
We quickly form a back-up plan and I go for pasta with mince meat in a bechemal sauce (we know this is yum) and I also order some baba ganough. He asks if I want chips, which was a surprise to me and I ask for "baladi aish" instead (flat round bread). Phil's favourite is tameya, which she orders, but I encourage her to order something else, as surely two little falafel will not be enough. She hasn't tried mashi before so I get her to order that - the mixed stuffed vegetables. It is here that our fist highlight takes place - Gad serve the best mashi I've tasted. Maybe it was because they were so fresh, but the stuffing was so tasty with a little tang of tomato and spice. Yum!
On to the Metro now and we find a space to stand in the women's carriage. After a few stops it is clear that this is the busy time, as lots of women and their children are getting on the train. We joke that it is like a creche here. We then hear a "meow" and look down to see a girl playing with one black and one ginger kitten around the bottom of her mother's gallabeya! She is happily playing away when we notice a boy has something in his hands; a frog! Where has he got this from and how did we end up in the zoo carriage?! While she plays with the kittens he is busy pushing the frog into people's faces and then putting him on the floor and banging the ground beside him to try and make him jump!
We nearly jump a moment later when an older lad walks down the carriage - he is selling something and brandishing his wears and nearly steps on the poor froggie. We both put our arms out to stop him, but he has seen the frog and starts to chastise the boy for scaring the women (we think). This over, his sales picth begins. He has what looks to be a kitchen implement with a wooden handle and metal stick with maybe a whisk on the end. My first guess is that it is for frothing your coffee, but then he pulls out a courgette - it is actually a corer to prepare our new favourite dish; mashi!
The girl with the kittens is about to get off, so she picks them up...but the arm! Oww! In the bustle of the train stopping we suddenly can't see the kittens anymore, but then we hear a rustle and see some movement of a black and orange shape in a white plastic bag. Yes - she is now carrying them home in a plastic bag!
As you can tell, it was an eventful journey and a great evening out all in all.
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