We all saw the posters advertising Mix Festival at Zorlu Center this past weekend, and while Fatboy Slim was originally featured on some of them, he was MIA on both the set-list and at the event itself. However, this was okay with me, because the act that I paid to see did arrive. In fact, I may have ignored those posters altogether if it wasn’t for one exotic yet familiar name: Ali Farka Toure. I listened to him for hours in college, enamored in his deep voice and earthy string rhythms even though I couldn’t understand the dialect, as he sang in various indigenous languages from Mali, his home country. Of course, the Ali Farka Toure, the virtuoso singer, songwriter, and guitarist who combined the soulful West African music traditions of his Sonrai culture with Western blues music and earned the moniker of an African John Lee Hooker, tragically died 11 years ago. However, his old band, simply called Ali Farka Toure Band, is cultivating his legacy without missing a beat. But more on that later.
The event is best suited as a package deal. You can buy a kombine ticket that gives you entrance for both nights and all stages. Once you present your ticket, you will be given a wristband that allows you to go between different stages and see different bands and DJs. This meant, if I wanted to see Ali Farka Toure Band, I couldn’t purchase a ticket just for the one night they were playing. I had to pay full price for both days. I had attended events at Zorlu Center several times before and while I had enjoyed the music at many of their concerts, such as Lamb and Tinariwen, I always felt it lacked the intimate aspect I had experienced at smaller venues in the city, such as Arka Oda, Karga, Peyote, and Babylon. With its escalators that lead to a gigantic, expensive shopping mall and bartenders that wear fancy suits as if they were facilitating international diplomacy instead of serving drinks, it seemed antithetical to the liberating atmosphere that motivates people to attend concerts in the first place. However, their light shows are undeniably stellar and, unlike most bars here, their dirty martinis are decent. (I also recommend the passion fruit and chili margarita). So in the end, I decided to go for it.
Day One
I came straight from work Friday night and sat down in the theater. The first band was Dagamba, a Latvian percussion orchestra rendering instrumental covers on two cellos, drums, piano, and the Iranian daf. The songs they covered ranged from Beethoven to Led Zeppelin to German metal band Rammstein. While some songs were vaguely familiar, the innovative combination of instruments without a singing voice reinvented these older songs in a way that sounded completely new.
However, I was much more captivated with the band that played after: Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis. This band is based in Israel and consists of both Jewish and Arab musicians from Iraq, Yemen, and Morocco and sing only in the distinct Iraqi Arabic dialect. Dudu Tassa is a direct descendant of the Al-Kuwaiti brothers who introduced Iraqi music to the people of Israel when they moved there from Iraq in the 1950s. Since then, Dudu Tassa has been using his musical prowess and heritage to build solidarity between Jews and Arabs by bringing these musicians together in international stages. The sensuous, passionate Arabic singing by both male and female voices was accentuated by the eclectic sound of drums, cello, violin, bass, and the Middle Eastern qanun. The sound was sincere and modern, but also evoked more traditional Arab musical nuances. The result was a profound musical harmony that transcended barriers and border walls.
What followed was the band I had been waiting for: Ali Farka Toure Band and Terakaft, two different Malian bands that collaborate to form the collective known as the Peace Caravan. Both bands integrated indigenous West African rhythms and drums with the electric guitars of American blues music. This unusual, yet soulful merger of instruments was enhanced by the deep male vocal rhythms. The result was a sound so penetrative and spiritual that it was impossible to sit still even with my tired feet. The spirit of the great Ali Farka Toure lives on in the undulating string notes, captivating drum beats and joyous singing of these bands. Both bands exposed not only their own talent, but also the need to honor and celebrate the power of African creativity, too long ignored and obscured by superficial stereotypes and abject media images of Africa.
Day Two
On the second day of the festival, several bands and DJs played on three different stages. The set-list in the Studio stage opened with Turkish rock band the Away Days. I had seen this band before and had long appreciated their poignant, intimate English language lyrics accentuated by ambient guitar, drum, and keyboard beats inspired by spiritual Indian sitar rhythms. They were followed by the British girl band She Drew The Gun. With thick Liverpool accents and recalcitrant feminist lyrics reminiscent of Ani DiFranco, they spoke to the frustrations of our generation. While at times a bit didactic for my tastes, their message was on point and their guitarist was too.
After that came one of my favorite acts, Motorama, a Russian band drawing from post punk and new wave influences that sang entirely in English. The lyrics were rich in sensuous imagery and the vivacious electronic keyboard beats combined with the standing room only setting gave us no choice but to move to the music. The sound took the audience back to the late 80s and early 90s when rebel punk greats like Social Distortion and Patti Smith usurped the establishment while still sounding powerfully original and different.
Then I entered the other stage, Ana Tiyatro, where German DJ Claptone was spinning a stream of techno music while wearing a creepy Anonymous-esque bird mask. While the music was nothing special, the light show was nothing short of stellar. It alternated between turquoise mist to zigzagging white lines on a screen to form skyscrapers to blue and green luminous rays emanating from the stage. The effect was so hypnotic it was more of an art installation than a simple light show.
I ended the night with Belgian electronic band Goose, who also sang in English. This band implemented powerful synthesizers to conjure an intense ethereal beat. This effect accompanied by the lead singer’s sultry voice created an astral vibe that made you wonder if you were still on Planet Earth. While lyrics like “Call me if you’re feeling lonely/Call me if you need a friend” would have seemed prosaic coming from anyone else, the euphoric rhythms gave them a unique profundity that was ideal for this sound and setting.
I came home with so many rushing thoughts and impressions and sound memories. Eventually it all connected like the dots in an Aboriginal dream-time painting and I was able to process the journey of the festival. (And no, I wasn’t high during the concert). In a music industry where lyrics like “want your bad romance” qualify as innovative, Mix Festival served as a reminder that great music still exists and genuine innovation still happens. Can’t wait for next year.
