African ensemble borders on exciting

The Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa is, I suspect, a good antidote for the nervous wrecks in the audience. Its sound of music might be described as soothing folklore wrapped up in modern jazz and soft rock. The upbeat sounds seem designed to drain negative energy.

The Wednesday night Artemus Ham Hall concert -- part of the New York Stage & Beyond series -- featured 16 musicians/soloists/dancers sharing oral and musical traditions from Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Benin, The Ivory Coast and Mauritania.

The dazzling colors of the uncredited costumes contributed measurably to the epic feel of the stories. And the program provided an opportunity to get to know a variety of instruments we don't see much in these parts -- African harps, guitars, flutes, xylophones and talking drums. It was easy to get quickly seduced by the reggae/Latino undercurrents, which often culminated in explosions of sound and movement.

An unexpected bonus was the powerful show-stopping vocal stylings of soloists Kadidia Diabate and Lountan Kouyate. I had no idea what they were singing about, but I sure enjoyed being in their company.

Although the show definitely was about the music, the troupe might benefit by paying a bit more attention to stage pictures and variety. The second act seemed a rehash of the first with too-similar choreography and arrangements. A bare-bones set of two naked platforms and a scrim might benefit by at least a change of costume after the interval. And too often, visual compositions were hindered by arbitrary movement from musicians observing the action.

Things might have been more hard-hitting if the second act was dropped, with perhaps a number or two added to the first. But the playful blending of the traditional and the contemporary made for an evening that often bordered on the exciting.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.