Mumbai Gig Preview: Performace & Workshop By West African Music Group 'Kabako'

Anyone who's still high on the polyrhythmic groove of Seun Kuti's legendary afrobeat band that toured India last year, have a particularly special treat in store this Friday night. Kabako, a West African seven-piece, Israel-based ensemble is hitting up one of the city's venues for a surprise gig of sorts.

While all members of the band aren't here (they intend to tour the subcontinent in the winter as a whole ensemble), the founding duo, Shahar Kachka on N'goni, Djembe and vocals, and Geoffrey Yoni O Hana on Balafon (African xylophone), N'goni (African harp), Djembe and vocals, are. Together, they mix West African music with middle east, funk, rock, jazz, reggae and Afro Cuban styles of music to make for a seriously groovy potpourri of beats and melody.

The two will take the stage at new Kalaghoda venue, Cheval, and will also be giving a Djembe workshop prior to their performance at Dojo in Malabar Hill. The workshop will cover aspects such as basic seating posture, maintaining metronome beats and different rhythm patterns/sounds as well as basic explanations of polyrhythmic variations. Interestingly, the duo started their workshop to manufacture sale and repair of traditional African instruments and have toured all over Israel and the world conducting the same.

The workshop will be held between 5pm- 7pm on Friday, 4 April at Dojo. Price: Rs 800. You can contact their booking agent Trey Munroe on (0)9029023330 for more details.

The gig will be held at Cheval from 9.30 pm onwards. Entry: Rs 300, inclusive of a free beer.

Words: Mandovi Menon