Lindsay Rust who first encountered the Afropop group Mamar Kassey as a Peace Corps volunteer living in Niger in the late '90s is now their agent
Afropop group Mamar Kassey brings distinctive sound to Douglass
By Dan Maley
Telegraph Staff Writer
An impoverished young man runs away from home and becomes a recording star.
It's a common story line in pop music, but the case of Yacouba Moumouni is an uncommon one.
In 1976 he was a 10-year-old shepherd living on the fringe of the Sahara desert in Niger, one of the world's poorest countries. Moumouni's father had died, leaving his older brother in charge of the family and the flock. The young Moumouni fought often with his brother, so he left home for the capital of Niamey, 125 miles away. On foot. Alone.
The rest is history, or at least it is in Niger. Moumouni spent two homeless years on Niamey's streets before he was taken in as a singer's apprentice. He learned to play traditional flute, joined the Ballet National of Niger and formed Mamar Kassey, the most popular musical group to emerge from that dry west African country.
Mamar Kassey, named for a 16th-century hero of the Songhai empire, makes bubbly, driving music with traditional instruments made of gourds as well as up-to-date electric guitar and bass. Soaring over it all is the voice of the former shepherd Moumouni, strong and clear enough to carry over miles of the sandy Sahel. Reviewers have noted a strong Moroccan influence that distinguishes Mamar Kassey's sound from other forms of Afropop.
Mamar Kassey recently began its second American tour, which comes to the Douglass Theatre tonight. Although the tour was originally planned for the full eight-piece ensemble, visa problems have kept most of the group in Niger. Mamar Kassey's booking agent says tonight's show will probably be made up of only the core of the group, Moumouni and guitarist Abdallah Alhassane.
The agent is a Californian named Lindsay Rust who first encountered the group as a Peace Corps volunteer living in Niamey in the late '90s.
"I was apprenticed to a silversmith at the National Museum who happened to be a friend to the leader of the band, Yacouba," Rust said. "He brought him by, and he invited me to see a concert. I was just blown away."
The group's management asked Rust to help book the first American tour, and she obliged. She said American audiences may not understand the lyrics, which are in African languages such as Fulani, Djerma and Tuareg, but "the way they radiate their energy on stage is real magnetic and people love it." Traditional costumes add to the experience.
Rust blamed the group's recent travel problems on the Department of Homeland Security, which, according to her, has not processed visa applications made in May. The members of Mamar Kassey are Muslim, she said.
"They're happy, good people and they're certainly no threat to our national security," Rust said.
Even though the backup musicians may be overseas, the audience at the Douglass tonight will still see music of import.
"This is like the biggest band to ever come out of Niger," Rust said. "If you're in Niamey, the music you hear on all the TV shows is Mamar Kassey. Yacouba, he's like a pop star over there."
To contact Dan Maley, call 744-4296 or e-mail dmaley@macontel.com.
