Finally I feel like I have it in me to write again!  I'm so sorry for the lack of blogs over this past week.  It's been due to a combination of two factors:  1) too much going on because the festival has finally started; 2) malaise.  The two are related, as I'll explain...  But, before I get going:  I just want to say - it feels good to be back, ladies and gentlemen!  I've been in a somewhat dark place over the past week and now I feel much better!  Yay!

So, the festival + malaise relationship is as follows:  1) people who are already hard to reach are even HARDER to reach when the festival they are putting on is finally, after YEARS, underway.  Hence, research has been difficult.  2) I had forgotten about the fact that I do not do well in crowds.  This is unfortunate, given what I'm researching (a festival that involves big concerts with huge crowds).  I went to the opening ceremonies, which was held at the big stadium, and I didn't even last 30 minutes.  Every stairwell leading up to the seats was a river of crazy people, excited at the chance of seeing Youssou N'Dour live for free.  No matter which direction I tried to go, it was impossible to move.  I temporarily found a seat near the stairwell, but given the location was constantly getting stepped on.  People were shouting, my anxiety level was rising, etc.  I decided I needed to get some air, but trying to descend the stairwell was almost impossible.  I was battling against a raging mob of crazed fans who wouldn't give an inch, and by the time I made it outside I was in tears and couldn't breathe.  Panic attack fun!  So that was the end of that.  After that incident, and a similiar one the following night, I felt extremely discouraged about my research - I wasn't having much success talking to people, and I wasn't having much success going to concerts.  So, this put me in a funk that lasted a while.

BUT, FUNK BE GONE!  Now, I'm feeling much better for several reasons, which I'll try to illuminate here:

1) I finally was able to make it to an amazing concert without having another panic attack.  That's progress!  I went to hear Archie Shepp.  For those of you who don't know, Archie Shepp is a free jazz saxophone legend, and also important to my research because he went to another of the historic festivals I've been studying, the Pan African Festival of Algiers in 1969.  I got to hear him with Daryll Hall on bass, Tom McClung on piano, and Steve McCraven on drums.  It was a fabulous quartet, an inspiring concert, and I felt all revved up afterward!  I didn't get the chance to talk with Archie Shepp, since I have not been able to obtain a press pass and there were police blocking the backstage entrance.  However, I have a contact who MAY be able to help me with this - who knows.  At any rate, he and his crew gave an inspiring performance.

2) I saw Manu Dibango!  Unfortunatley, I felt slightly jipped, as a saxophonist, because he only played piano.  However, he rocks on piano, too, so it was still great, and he's a real legend in Africa.  He was the first African saxophonist to make it big internationally as a jazz musician, and he influenced a whole generation across the continent.  Michael Jackson was even influenced by him - there's a MJ song which goes "Mamasay mamasa mamakossa," which is taken directly from Manu Dibango.  He actually won a law suit against MJ for this!  I should have stayed at the end of Archie Shepp's concert, because Manu Dibango was playing that night, too, but there was another band in between and I wouldn't have seen Manu 'til after midnight-'til 2am-ish.  I figured it wasn't necessary to stay since I could see him the next day at the other venue (where he ended up only playing piano).  Staying the night before 'til 2am-ish would've been ok, except I didnt' have a key because mine broke in the door (it's a DIFFICULT DOOR!!!), and I hadn't been able to borrow a key yet to make a copy.  So, I didn't want to be stuck locked out at 2:30am and have to wake someone up to let me in.  I've since taken care of the key problem, so this won't be an issue anymore!  Anyway, THAT's why I didn't see Dibangu at the Archie Shepp concert (in which I'm sure he played saxophone), and instead saw him play piano at the French Institute a few nights ago.  Which, mind you, was still great!

3) I met an AMAZING, AMAZING music researcher / journalist / writer / photographer / producer.  His name is Florent Mazzoleni.  He is the same age as me, and he only started researching African music 6 years ago.  In that time, he has managed to write FIFTEEN books, plus take photographs for and produce a number of African music CD compilations, etc., etc.  But the best thing about him is that, despite all of his insane accomplishments, he is super approachable and friendly and not intimidating at all.  Given my current track-record with talking to VIP's, it was incredibly refreshing to talk to someone who didn't seem too busy to give me the time of day, and who is genuinely passionate about what he studies, so he enjoys talking about it to anyone, and who is genuinely interested in what I'm working on and wants to help me in any way he can.   He has invited me to a conference in Bamako which will host all of the who's-who in West-African music scholarship.  I don't think the date is totally set yet, but at any rate I will try to go if I can.  Maybe my Fulbright will pay for the travel, since it's research-related.  He has also welcomed me to feel free to visit his archives (he has a personal LP collection which he is already considering turning into a foundation someday, as it's more comprehensive than most libraries) to do research should I need access to his LPs, notes, etc.  AND, he is going to introduce me to another producer on Friday, AND to Ablaaye Thiossane, a musician who performed at the first FESMAN in 1966!  So, he rocks. 

3) I'm going to see BAABA MAAL tonight!!!

4) Kia and Geoff are the BEST - I got a X'Mas package from them yesterday with all sorts of goodies, and THEN today I got two letters, one from each of them!  So.  I'm feeling the love, which is always a good thing.

So....  THANKS, Kia and Geoff!!

5) And, thanks Kendra / Dale / Damien for the nice card and the cute Christmas photo of Damien with Santa!!  I showed him off to my host family and they all agreed he was too cute.

So... life is looking up compared to the past few days!