Globe-trotting band brings West African vibes

Sounds from West Africa and the deep South collide as North Carolina-based Toubab Krewe brings its brand of original music to Bloomington today.\nToubab Krewe, pronounced “too-bob crew,” will be returning to Bloomington for the sixth time to perform at 9 p.m. today at The Bluebird. The band is an instrumental quintet from Asheville, N.C., that plays a hybrid of traditional African arrangements and American rock with many other musical styles thrown into the mix.\n“We play a lot of African music, but there is just as much American influence in our music,” multi-instrumentalist Justin Perkins said. “We have a certain twang and grittiness because we are just south of the Appalachians, we are sort of a melange of everything.” \nAside from the usual band setup of guitar, bass and drums, Toubab Krewe features a variety of West African instruments. Perkins plays the guitar, as well as the kora and the kamelengoni, both of which are traditional African harps. The eclectic sound of the band also features African percussion and a soku, a Malian horsehair fiddle.\nToubab Krewe was formed in January 2005 by Perkins and his childhood friend Drew Heller. The two have been playing music together since they were 7 years old and decided to start the band after a five-month stay in Mali, West Africa. The band has since returned to Africa many times, working with the local musicians to develop its sound. \nThe name Toubab Krewe is itself an amalgamation of West African and American cultures. \n“Toubab is a word used in Africa to refer to non-American foreigners,” Perkins said. “After spending some time in Africa, you get used to hearing it and that’s what we became, and Krewe is taken from the New Orleans spelling of ‘crew.’”\nThe band has established itself by bringing an energetic live show to audiences all over the world.\nToubab Krewe has played to large crowds at some of the most popular music festivals in the world, including Bonnaroo Music Festival, Vegoose in Las Vegas, High Sierra Music Festival in Berkeley, Calif., and Bloomington’s Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. In 2007, the band played the Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, known as the most remote music festival in the world.\n“I’ve only seen Toubab Krewe at the 2007 Lotus World Music Festival in Bloomington,” sophomore Christopher Held said. “The entire experience was incredible. The show was outside in downtown Bloomington on a beautiful night and Toubab Krewe was playing under a tent with a grooving crowd and a nice complementary light show. They kept things interesting, too, with solos on unique instruments and climactic changes.”\nCurrently, Toubab Krewe is putting the finishing touches on its second album and touring the country. The band is anticipating bringing its tribal rhythms to Bloomington for a sixth time because band members said they love the town and its people.\n“We’re looking forward to coming back to Bloomington,” Perkins said. “We’re very fond of the town and the energy its people bring with them.”