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Roberto Fonseca En Fatoumata Diawara Bouwen Muzikale Brug Tussen Cuba En Mali “Hiermee Willen We Vooroordelen Onderuithalen”

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Roberto Fonseca En Fatoumata Diawara Bouwen Muzikale Brug Tussen Cuba En Mali “Hiermee Willen We Vooroordelen Onderuithalen” Roberto Fonseca en Fatoumata Diawara bouwen muzikale brug tussen Cuba en Mali “Hiermee willen we vooroordelen onderuithalen” Muzikale bruggenbouwers worden Fatoumata Diawara en Roberto Fonseca genoemd. Op 21 november verenigen de Malinese zangeres en de Cubaanse pianist in de schouwburg van de Warande stijlen en culturen. “Een absolute aanrader voor al wie zijn oren graag laat reizen tussen Cuba en West-Afrika”, luidt het. Hoe verschillend Fatoumata Diawara en Roberto Fonseca ook mogen lijken, ook raakvlakken hebben ze genoeg. Ze delen een passie voor muziek, een liefde voor de roots van hun land én een honger naar avontuur. De samenwerking van de twee jonge sterren leidt tot een boeiende en hoogst originele versmelting van Afrikaanse en Zuid-Amerikaanse klanken en ritmes. Als actrice, danseres en achtergrondzangeres geniet Fatoumata Diawara al bekendheid in Mali en omringende landen. Met het solodebuutalbum ‘Fatou’, waarop ze in de Wassoulou-traditie van haar grote voorbeeld Oumou Sangaré zingt en gitaar speelt, groeit Diawara in 2011 uit tot een wereldster. Ze werkt samen en deelt podia met groten als Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bobby Womack, Herbie Hancock en Paul McCartney, wordt in haar nieuwe thuisland Frankrijk geëerd als Ridder in de Orde van Kunst en Letteren en ziet de film ‘Timbuktu’, waarin zij acteert en zingt, met een César bekroond. In Cuba is multi-instrumentalist Roberto Fonseca, telg uit een muzikale familie, zijn carrière al in de vroege jaren negentig begonnen. Als pianist mag hij Ruben Gonzalez opvolgen bij de Buena Vista Social Club en spelen in de begeleidingsgroepen van Ibrahim Ferrer en Omara Portuondo. Op zijn zesde soloalbum ‘Yo’, uit 2012, leent Fatoumata Diawara haar stem aan het nummer ‘Bibisa’, wat zoveel wil zeggen als ‘laten we een feestje bouwen’. ROBERTO FONSECA: “Voor ‘Yo’ zocht ik bijzondere stemmen uit West-Afrika. Omdat ik had al heel wat zangers op de plaat had, wou ik er nog een echt unieke vrouwelijke stem bij. Iemand suggereerde me Fatoumata. Ik kende haar niet maar toen ik wat dingen van haar hoorde, was ik meteen overtuigd. Na onze samenwerking ben ik op tournee vertrokken. De gedachte aan een volgende stap met Fatou bleef door mijn hoofd spoken. Zij had ondertussen ook haar handen vol met andere dingen. Toen we elkaar toch weer eens vonden, bleek dat we allebei zin hadden in een gezamenlijk project. We zijn naar haar studio getrokken, hebben er gerepeteerd en ons album ‘At Home’ live opgenomen (op het Franse festival Jazz à Marciac, gj). Alles verliep heel natuurlijk, helemaal niet geforceerd. Het is een plezier om met Fatou te kunnen samenwerken. We grappen graag maar hebben ook ernstige gesprekken. In dat opzicht gaan we als broer en zus met elkaar om.” Hoe moeilijk of makkelijk is het om jullie erg verschillende muzikale achtergronden te verzoenen? ROBERTO FONSECA: “Dat is helemaal niet moeilijk. Het enige dat we moeten doen, is naar elkaar luisteren en elkaars muzikale en culturele achtergrond respecteren. Deze muziek kunnen we enkel maken doordat we beiden een open geest hebben. Als we beiden hardnekkig aan onze eigen roots zouden vasthouden, dan was dit nooit gelukt. De kunst bestaat erin het punt te vinden waarop onze invloeden en interesses mekaar raken, waarna we ze laten ineenvloeien. Als producer wilde ik het ook simpel, puur en direct houden. Zo ontstaan vaak de mooiste dingen en kan je mensen makkelijker raken. Aan de respons te oordelen, apprecieert het publiek duidelijk wat we doen. Onze muziek brengt mensen aan het huilen, lachen en dansen. De reacties zijn overal nog enthousiaster dan we hadden verwacht.” Velen herkennen in dit Cubaans-Malinees huwelijk een symbool van verdraagzaamheid. Wil je hiermee een boodschap uitdragen? ROBERTO FONSECA: “Ja, hiermee willen we muzikale en politieke vooroordelen onderuithalen. Ook al gaat lang niet iedereen de teksten begrijpen, de taal van muziek is universeel. Mensen die met Cubaanse en Afrikaanse muziek vertrouwd zijn, zeggen ons dat dit een echte versmelting van beide culturen is, aangevuld met invloeden uit rock, jazz en klassiek. Het resultaat klinkt als iets nieuw. Dat vonden we belangrijk.” “Sommigen noemen dit wereldmuziek, maar van die term hou ik niet. Deze muziek kunnen we overal spelen, van festivals tot jazzclubs en operahuizen. Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat iedereen hiervoor valt. Het ene publiek gedraagt zich al wat conservatiever dan het andere, maar uiteindelijk krijgen we mensen bij elk concert aan het dansen en oogsten we overal staande ovaties. Als mensen na afloop komen zeggen dat onze muziek hen weer laat leven, dan doet mij dat echt deugd.” Als pianist van de Buena Vista Social Club heb je jarenlang de traditionele muziek van Cuba geëerd. Wil je met dit huidige project je horizon verruimen? ROBERTO FONSECA: “Ik laat de Cubaanse traditie graag puur en ongerept, omdat ik het belangrijk vind dat mensen horen hoe deze muziek oorspronkelijk klonk. Ik zal nooit vergeten wat Ibrahim Ferrer voor mij heeft gedaan. De herinnering aan de manier waarop hij muziek maakte, blijft een grote invloed die ik altijd in mijn hart zal dragen. Tegelijkertijd wil ik de grenzen ervan verleggen en nieuwe invloeden toevoegen. Op die manier hoop ik de jonge generatie naar Cubaanse muziek te kunnen laten luisteren als iets dat van vandaag is. Dat is niet gemakkelijk, maar ik blijf het graag proberen.” Blijft je avontuur met Fatoumata Diawara iets eenmaligs of lonkt er een vervolg? ROBERTO FONSECA: “Eerst willen we met deze plaat de wereld rondtrekken. Daarna werk ik verder aan mijn volgende soloplaat, die begin volgend jaar moet uitkomen. Ondertussen bekijken Fatou en ik of we samen nog een vervolg op dit project kunnen maken. Dat moet dan wel iets anders worden. Eenzelfde plaat maken, heeft geen zin. Evolutie moet er zijn!” Tekst: Gunter Jacobs Fatoumata Diawara & Roberto Fonseca concerteren op 21 november in de schouwburg. Het album ‘At Home (Live in Marciac)' is verschenen bij Harmunia Mundi. www.robertofonseca.com, www.fatoumatadiawara.fr .
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