The North Shore Music Association (with some help from the Minnesota State Arts Board) is bringing the very talented Siama Matuzungidi and the Congo World Quartet to the Arrowhead Center for the Arts to perform on Saturday, April 7. Buy your tickets here and see them, or travel to the Congo to see them perform. It’s your choice.
On April 7 at 7 p.m. the Arrowhead Center for the Arts (ACA) will be filled with the beautiful “sounds of happiness” music that originated from the Congo.
A prolific composer and guitarist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Siama Matuzungidi spent his early career performing with major African music stars, including Kanda Bongoman, Sam Mangwana, and Samba Mapangala. A sought-after studio musician, Siama recorded hundreds of popular songs during the golden era of soukous music in the ’70s and ’80s and toured Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His signature sound and commitment to innovation helped fuel the popularization of soukous (“the sound of happiness”), which is still widely enjoyed on dance floors worldwide.
After receiving a McKnight Fellowship in 2014, Siama launched his solo career in Minneapolis. Performing an acoustic format rich with new material, he collaborates with musicians from a wide array of backgrounds and instrumentation. His feel-good music includes songs inspired by traditional music from his childhood in rural DR of Congo. A PBS special about Siama’s life and music recently aired on the program Lowertown Line.
In Grand Marais, Siama will perform in concert with his Congo World Quartet. Featuring Siama, singer Dallas Johnson, global music drummer Tim O’Keefe, and renowned cellist Jacqueline Ultan, the quartet creates a unique fusion by blending a colorful palette of musical influences with Siama’s traditional Congolese music. The result is an uplifting tapestry filled with lush textures and dramatic nuance.
In addition to performing, Siama hosts interactive educational programs and teaches workshops on songwriting and guitar. On April 6, Siama and Dallas Johnson will present two educational programs, free and open to the public, at Grand Marais Public Library.
The first program at the library begins at 1 p.m. and will be an all-ages interactive presentation of word and music, focusing on Congolese history and culture. The presentation will last 50 minutes.
At 2:30 p.m. there will be an all-ages singing workshop, teaching Congolese language and musical styles for 50 minutes.
The North Shore Music Association, in partnership with Siama Matuzungidi, is a fiscal year 2018 recipient of a Cultural Community Partnership grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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