Nothing could have prepared the Northcote Social Club’s band room carpets for the sweaty assault it received on Tuesday night. Lead by the Gambian Master Drummer, Ebrima ‘King’ Marong, Afro Mandinko’s 10 piece band concluded their residency at the NSC, going out with a bang.
Afro Mandinko’s reggae bass lines mixed with the African percussion created a dance floor not seen too often in the band room. However, it took the crowd a little while to warm to the idea of getting hot and sweaty in public. It took 3 or 4 courageous individuals to get the party started, but once the feet started moving there was no turning back. Even the chaps behind the bar couldn’t contain themselves, bouncing like all the other dancers in the audience. The contageous music rose through the ceiling to even make going to the toilet upstairs a musical experince.
Halfway through the set we were lucky enough to see the trumpeter lay down her bell for a second and come out instead with a Kora, a traditionally west African 21-string harp-lute.
As well as the music, the band was dressed in native African clothing, and the crowd was treated to some traditional African dancing, executed most impressively by Lamine Sonko, who danced, sung, and played percussion. Yours Truly made a considerable effort to immitate the dancing happening on stage, but it seems I need to work out for another couple of years before i can get the energy that Afro Mandinko maintained through the entire gig.
The last song went on for what seemed like another set in itself, with a dance competition requiring individuals to get to the front of the audience and dance by themselves in the spot light for 16 bars or so. Being judged by the flute playing Wouter Kellerman (the supporting act, and a very nice south african man), a young woman in a red dress managed to win the competition, but not before Wouter himself showed off his impressive and “unique” dance skills.
All in all, the presence of so much African culture gave us humble fans a night pleasing to all the senses.
When the gig was up, 100 exhausted people left the band room with huge smiles on their faces and ready for a shower!
Afro Mandinko are playing next at Bar Open on Saturday.
Afro Mandinko
Tuesday 27 November
Northcote Social Club
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