Uplifting the African spirit
"Jazz fusion at its finest engaged the Harbourfront during KUUMBA this year. Pounding beats, electrifying backdrops and a lively audience made for an incredible evening.
Needless to say, in their North American debut, the Griots t’ Garage blew us away. To begin with, there’s a DJ supplying the breakbeats, a trombonist, and a camera guy on stage; this should have been the first indication that this evening would not be routine.
Described as part tribute, part documentary and part concert, Griots t’ Garage is a new-age multimedia experience, certainly a novel approach to jazz. With live-on-the-floor footage and visual projectionists, it’s clear that this group thrives on innovation. They’ve also been known to use elements like Jazz dancers and percussionists in their acts. However, on this night, it would be frontman Dennis Rollins’ musical dexterity that captivated us. It was obvious that although constantly evolving with the use of hip-hop, garage, and funk beats, Griots t’ Garage stayed true to its jazz roots, relying heavily on Rollins’ skilful trombone solos.
Dennis Rollins is not afraid to work. He moves across the stage, never losing step with the beat. Transitioning from one song to the next, the underrated trombone is an even more arresting instrument than I thought possible. He blows, smiles, and jumps, all the while teasing us with standards like “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing.”
According to the Griots' sound engineer, Stephen, their goal is to wrap the music around the audience to make each performance unique.
“What I enjoy the most is the experience even tonight was completely different, it’s nice to come in, take on a challenge and be successful at it.”
The Griots' performance was unlike anything I imagined one could experience listening to or watching a jazz performance. Radical images of black activists flash on the screen as the beats build to a crescendo, virtually without pause, melancholy tunes coincide with colourful kaleidoscopes. Each transition leads one to ponder whether the image tells the story behind the music or if the music is the backdrop to the images transmitted on screen.
Dennis Rollins, the jazz impresario, explained the meaning behind the music.
“It’s a way of connecting back to my home, connecting right back to Africa, taking a journey as many places as I can. All musical genres that I’ve been trying to cover have the same connection—they all have the drum of the heartbeat.”
Dennis was also kind enough to express his thoughts on performing in Toronto for the first time: “I’m really enjoying the culture here in Toronto. There’s a real community spirit, and obviously, because it’s black history month, I’m seeing a lot of brothers and sisters all celebrating—that’s what life is, and it’s beautiful to see that here.”
A melting pot of the blues, modern jazz, ancient African rhythms, and funky garage grooves, the Griots t’ Garage melodic expedition is worth a listen.
Adele Ambrose is the AfroToronto.com Arts Editor. She can be reached at
