African Joy Closes Montreal Festival

(A huge thank you to J., for all the photos in this post.)

There are days when I feel like the most fortunate person in the world just because I live in this unique city, and yesterday was certainly one.

The day started with a quiet bike ride through deserted city streets to the Anglican cathedral, where, in honor of the jazz fest, there was a jazz mass. The musicians were the cathedral choir plus a four-person combo of excellent instrumentalists on sax,  piano, drums and bass, led by a priest from Toronto who preached and is also a gifted jazz pianist. Everything was informal and upbeat: there were improvs on all the hymns, the mass setting was a jazz improvisation on the William Byrd Mass for Four Voices, and at communion we heard Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday." I was the lector and got to read the great Genesis story of Isaac's servant finding Rebecca at the well and bringing her home to "slip off her camel" at the sight of her future husband. In the introduction to the reading I quipped that maybe I should sing the lesson as a ballad, since it's one of the great love stories of all time. Everybody laughed, but afterward the director said, hey, next year we should definitely accompany all the readings with music -- and get the jazz mass included in the festival programme.

In the evening, we joined a crowd of 100,000 people last evening for the free blow-out concert culmination of the jazz festival, by the legendary Guinean singer Mory Kanté and his 15-piece band. As before, we met friends a couple of hours early in order to stake out a good place, and snacked - in Montreal style - on the treats they'd brought: fresh figs, still-warm French bread, and Quebec camembert. 

The concert was beyond fantastic. Not only was Kanté energetic, warm, happy, consummately musical, and accompanied by a wonderful band - the flute, marimba players and African drummer were especially fine - but the show was also colorful and varied, from the female backup chorus to the two male African dancers who wowed all of us with their moves toward the end of the show. Kanté, who was sent to Mali at the age of 15 to be schooled in the griot tradition,  also has an acoustic band and highlights of the show, for me, were two quieter songs he performed in that tradition, playing the kora that was given to him by the Malian music and spiritual master Batrou Sekou Kouyate. But don't get me wrong: I was dancing the whole time, along with my Latin-dance-loving friend D., from Colombia, who must have gotten a work-out equivalent to a ten-mile run. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the festival.

I can't praise the organizers enough for their ability to provide a seamless experience for those who attend - the festival runs beautifully, shows are on time, and the atmosphere is about as non-commercial, non-obnoxious, and listener-centric as you could possibly imagine. But a big chunk of that credit has to go to this remarkable city where diversity is seen as a gift, and people pride themselves on living together harmoniously. The crowd was truly tout le monde. Even the pretty-much-wasted group of teenagers in front of us were polite about trying not to obscure our view or fall on top of us as they exuberantly danced and celebrated together, and when was the last time an adult asked you - outdoors - if you minded if she smoked just one cigarette?

That kind of consciousness of being fortunate individuals, sharing a space and time, within a greater community is what animates Montreal, and the jazz fest - when we celebrate the long-awaited summer and throw open the city to a huge number of visitors each year - is probably what embodies it the best. For those who'd like to see and hear more, here are some multimedia links , all in English, from the Montreal Gazette's jazz fest website. One of the coolest links is a panorama of the tribute to Leonard Cohen; not only can you fly over the crowd and turn the view 360 degrees, there are clickable links that add sound clips. Better yet -- come on up next year!

Comments

[dale]

:->

[marja-leena]

Your comment came in just as I was reading this heartwarming post. Makes me feel ashamed I haven't attended any of the Jazz Fest events here! I've always wanted to visit Montreal and Quebec City, one day I hope to do so and we could meet! Are you going to visit Quebec City during its 400th year celebrations? Our cities out west are SO much younger that these historic places have a certain attraction for me, which is why I also love Europe.

[Robb]

Kia ora Beth,
You have Montreal a city I want to visit on my next northern hemisphere visit. Especially during the Jazz Festival. I must admit I have never heard of Mory Kante but I am heading over to ITunes now! Kia ora.
Rangimarie,
Robb

[ruth]

jealous.....love mk