Gig: Resolutionaries Marimba Band

Resolutionaries Marimba Band

Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar). Friday, February 11, 2011.

Music Africa, the hard-working folks who put on Afrofest, have been keeping busy in the off-season lately by celebrating Black History Month with a month-long series of free Friday night shows in The Gladstone's Melody Bar. It's always a good opportunity to investigate unfamiliar acts: free, low-pressure, nice crowd, and (if you're so inclined) still done in time to head out to another gig afterward. And on a cold February night, it feels particularly fine to be sitting in the Melody Bar, watching streetcars trundle past in the crisp cold.

This night definitely fell into the "try something new" category, as I knew nothing about the Resolutionaries Marimba Band. Active for a year, the Peterborough crew are self-proclaimed purveyors of "Zimbabwean hybrid music", indicating that they're strongly aware of the tradition they're playing in, but not strictly bound to it. The band featured a drummer and bass player, plus three musicians rotating between the four full-sized marimbas. Under the leadership of founder Chaka Chikodzi, they delivered a polyrhythmic and highly tuneful brand of mostly-instrumental dance music, and turned out to be a delightful discovery.

Given the limits of the small stage, Chikodzi's main marimba was on the floor, right by the door out to the street. That meant he was first in line for a blast of cold air every time someone entered — which might have given him extra incentive to get the room heated up. And though I think the band was an unknown to most of the crowd, it didn't take long for the bouncy imperative to take over and get people up and dancing. The whole of the first set was given over to extended uptempo grooves, the players moving from marimba one to another as each song required. It was also a joy to watch the band, given the constant physicality of the playing, with mallets blurred as the rhythmic lines rubbed up and danced against each other.

After the nonstop dance party of the first set, the second started off on a different note with Chikodzi taking centre stage and playing mbira, backed only by drums for a quieter song, which also featured his appealing voice. After that, as the rest of the band returned, I recognized the old standard "Manhanga", a celebration of sweet pumpkins that had the crowd clapping along in its triple-fire pap-pap-pap rhythm. The next songs were slower and more intricate, but the music was still more than groovy enough to dance to.

Things picked up again with some extra drum action, a large two-headed one lying on its side giving the bandmembers a chance to step out in front of the stage and get in on the dancing. This was feel-good music in the most literal sense, and the positive vibes from the band brightened the room.

And, as always, it's interesting to see how these shows play out against the background of a crowd that's not necessarily there just for them. Toward the end, an older dude in sweatpants and a Ramones t-shirt came in through the front door and, surveying the situation, bowed to the band before throwing his coat to the floor and proceeding to dance in front of the stage. About a third of his dancing repertoire was The Robot. And once things wound down, with the karaoke crowd eagerly eyeing the tables up front, it was easy enough to skip outside and hop on the streetcar and head onward to the next show.

A couple selections from this show: listen to something more upbeat here, or one that simmers a little more here.