OK, so it's clearly not Top 5 year. Lists are trickling out at a glacial pace. All my fans are pining away for another expertly curated quintet of tunes. It's been almost four months since this year's Clandestino festival, and I'm already at work with artist texts for new Clandestino arrangements. But the traditional summary must be posted! Here is a groove-heavy Top 5 of what went down in May. It was glorious.
Jupiter & Okwess - Na Kozonga
Festival Saturday was one of the most relentlessly sweaty evenings I have experienced at Clandestino. By the time this Congolese giant went on stage we had already been dancing a lot to El León Pardo y Los Gaiteros de Punta Icaco. And when he went out into the audience to lead us in a frenzied train of dance it was still just the beginning of the night.
Florence Adooni - Vocalize My Luv
At the end of Florence Adooni's euphoric concert, I was a puddle. Again, horn players out in the audience, callback singalongs and not a single pause in the dancing.
Anto <3 - MC Dinero
In between West African dance tunes, what do you need? Some bratty Colombian clubbing. Meow!
Les Soeurs Doga & Viktor Marek - Mashallah
Friday served up a hug party with twin sisters from Burkina Faso. Such Gs!
