Let’s wake up, take one breath and listen for the sound…
Thus begins the refrain of Sinkane’s anchoring song of the same name as their latest album, We Belong, released last year.
The six-piece band with Sudanese founder and lead singer, Ahmed Gallab, opens the Cedar Cultural Center’s Summer at the Cedar on July 9th, the first of seven weeks of free music at this Minneapolis venue.
Be in tune, follow your light…
The Cedar couldn’t have asked for a better night. The weather is perfect, no storms in the forecast, no rain, no bugs, just an evening sun basking the crowd and the band is fire. They burn through their two-hour set for an audience that takes its sweet time getting up to dance, but once they do, no one can sit back down.
Be yourself, free your mind…
The mix of people in the audience embraces the community where The Cedar resides. The opening song by the band, Come Together, further invites people off the street to stop and have a listen.
The Cedar sometimes has struggled with their sound system, but on this evening, it is flawless. All the instruments, from the keys to the guitars to the percussion and vocalists are clear and vibrant. Small children wear ear protection, but the music isn’t too loud at all for adults.
Ahmed Gallab’s voice rings out sometimes in a falsetto, always with clarity. He has something to say with his music that he writes and he doesn’t miss the opportunity to share it. The second line of singers, Jessica Hart and Ifedayo, take turns to shine as well. Their addition to the sound is essential.
His Sudanese roots show up in his music in its pentatonic notes and, says Gallab, “especially the percussion.” Gallab also sings in Arabic at times, one of Sudan’s official languages.
What a time to be alive…
Mid-way through their setlist of 15 songs, Gallab shares his heart for his ancestral country and its people calling out, “Sudan is going through a humanitarian crisis right now.” Gallab tells us that the women of Sudan are committing mass suicide rather than face rape and torture, an odious fallout of civil war.
Ahmed Gallab sat down with Mshale later to reflect on the show. He added to his public comments.
“It’s really important for anyone who is a part of the Diaspora who has the privilege of having a soapbox and a platform to talk about what’s happening in Sudan. A lot of the people in Sudan can’t really talk about it. They don’t have the means or the resources and I do and I think it’s important for me to talk about it every single time we perform.”
We’re all that we’ve got so hold on…
Gallab offers up Wednesday’s show to his mother-in-law, Liz. “She was my biggest supporter,” he says. Then tells us that she died last November, a victim of cancer. “She taught me unconditional love,” he says in praise of his Minnesotan wife’s mother.
The band plays Liz’s favorite song, “Theme from Life & Livin’ It” and donate a portion of tonight’s merch-table sales to fight breast cancer.
We’re all that we’ve got so be strong…
Later, Gallab tells me other people he admires that influenced his musical journey: Pharaoh Sanders, “He was the reason I started the band.” Sly Stone, “Rest in peace, another big reason,” and Parliament Funkadelic were key influencers as well as Sudanese musician Mohammed Wardi and Nigerians Fela Kuti and William Onyeabor.
Gallab couldn’t omit R&B musicians D’angelo and Erykah Badu, from the list, both are “pretty big,” he says.
Prevailing ’til the break of dawn, because We Belong…
Gallab wraps his show eschewing the usual protocol of how bands exit the stage. “We’ve got two more songs and then we’re done. We’re not going to go off [stage] and then come back [for an encore], that’s stupid.”
Yes, Mama, we made it…
The band:
Ahmed Gallab: lead vocalist, guitar
Ronnie Lanzilotta: Bass
Dave Palazola: Drums
Pat Carr: keys, guitar
Jessica Harp: vocalist
Ifedayo: vocalist
Set list
Come Together
Another Day
U’huh
Telephone
Moonstruck
How We Be
Mean Love
Liming
Runnin’
Passenger
Theme from Life & Livin’ It
K Town Boogie
Imposter
How Sweet Is Your Love
We Belong
Fun Fact
The band’s name, Gallab told me laughingly, is a mondegreen. He’d been listening to J. Ivy’s spoken word performance of “Never Let Me Down.” He thought there was a reference to a god in African culture, Sinkane. But it was actually a shout-out to Joseph Cinqué, an enslaved man who led the revolt on the Amistad ship in 1839. Nonetheless, Gallab had already released his first album and decided to stick with Sinkane.
because We Belong
Author
About Susan Budig
Susan is based in Minneapolis and reports on general assignments for Mshale with a focus on entertainment. In addition to reporting, she is also a writer, poet, teacher and coach.
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