Secret Planet Presents Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band and Uasuf Gueye
Emerging from Lomé, Togo , Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band is a collective of top Togolese musicians led by Massama Dogo who want put Togolese music on the map by blending psychedelic rock and afrobeat into a genre-defying sound he calls the "Alagaa Beat."
Combining Togolese festive and ritual rhythms, hypnotic voodoo melodies, and lyrics that speak to a new generation of young Africans with a message that resonates globally, Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band embodies the heart and soul of modern Togo in its music.
"When you listen to this music,” says Dogo, “if you don't get in a trance, then something’s wrong with you! The alagaa beat brings the energy right away. As soon as you bring it in, it just feels different, it takes you somewhere else.” The melodies, too, are anchored in Togo’s rich cultural history, using unique pentatonic scales known as Mina or Mami, derived from the music of the local Vodún religion and traditions that permeate everyday life in Togo.
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Uasuf Gueye - performing solo balafon
Born in Washington, DC, Uasuf Gueye comes from a diverse background of music. His mother is a school teacher from Washington, DC. His father belongs to a family of West African oral historians and musicians known as Nguewel/Jeli.
He began his musical journey at the feet of his father and other master musicians as he learned the techniques of West African percussion. Through these disciplines, Uasuf received his first training as a musician, performer, oral historian, and lecturer. At a young age, he began traveling and performing as a musician for the local West African Dance Companies in the Washington, DC area.
Over time, Gueye began to seek out different ways to express himself through music while making connections between both sides of his lineage. He began using his traditional African instruments to create hip hop, rock, R&B and jazz grooves, topped off with captivating rap and R&B lyrics. As a result, he has developed a vast repertoire that ranges from traditional songs from the 13th century to original compositions incorporating blues and jazz riffs.
Doors at 6, show at 7
Tickets: $20
Outdoors at Current Space – Enter through the back at 421 Tyson Street
Events at Current Space are rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable.
Accessibility and Parking Info: currentspace.com/visit
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