Zulu and Xosha sounds of urban South Africa. Though the two countries are neighbors, the music Chiweshe plays is more reminiscent of the griot music of West Africa, some 2700 miles to the north. The first number, Omazarua, featured her powerful percussionists. Most of the rest of the set was a long medley featuring the mbira, smoothly segueing from one piece to another. For me, the most exciting part of the evening was Susana Baca.
Peruvian music has a wide range of styles.
Baca's vocals were strong, high, and clear, her stage presence was impressive, and her band had true chemistry. Clearly, they have worked together long enough to anticipate each other, play off the other instruments, and create the magic of a truly great performance. This looked like a small wooden box. Cotito opened and closed the box with one hand, and struck the side with the other. All of them seemed to enjoy themselves a great deal.