Many have criticized the term “world music” as simply a lazy catchall term for non-Western music. But Zap Mama’s founder and leader Marie Daulne embraces it—and with a musical style drawing on roots in Congo-Kinshasa, an upbringing in Belgium, and an infusion of American hip-hop and R&B, it is easy to understand why.
Zap Mama opened Monday night’s show with a few tracks from their 2009 release, ReCreation, which takes Daulne’s world-spanning influences a step further, adding a Brazilian influence. “Vibrations” and “Do You Wanna?” settled the audience into a tight groove, while Daulne let the audience know “I’m gonna zap you to another place . . . .” And zap us to another place she did!
Within just a few songs, the drummer had unleashed some standout hip-hop drumming reminiscent of The Roots’ ?uestlove, the mood had mellowed out for an acoustic–guitar driven ballad, and the audience had been driven into a hilarious near-line-dancing experience during “Yelling Away,” an Ancestry in Progress track that guest-starred Talib Kweli and Common. Though they performed the song without either rapper, I’ll never forget the steps to the dance: “One step forward, move around. One step backward, boogie down. One step right, one step left, one step, one step, one step, one step.”
Daulne’s stage presence was spectacular throughout, and it is clear that she’s been performing for decades. Throughout the concert she made use of two microphones—one clean and one that ran through a number of pedals. Through the latter, she used a looping pedal to thickly layer singing, blowing on bottles, and beatboxing, frequently opening a song with her own groove and then bringing in her full band—consisting of a drummer, guitarist/keyboard player, bassist, horn player and two backup singers—to kick it up a notch.
Nearly every album selection was extended with either a vocal or percussion breakdown, or in one case a vocal/percussive conversation between Daulne and the drummer; it may have been the highlight of the night. Zap Mama closed the concert with Supermoon’s “1000 Ways,” which is a great album track, but ten times better (and longer) live.
Much to the delight of the raucously applauding Paradise crowd, Zap Mama returned for an encore, bringing out G. Love to perform “Drifting,” a duet they recorded for ReCreation. They followed with “Bandy Bandy,” the band’s biggest hit from Ancestry in Progress, and then closed with a fantastic funk jam replete with James Brown-esque funk guitar and Daulne’s requests for “Hit me 1 time! Hit me 2 times! Hit me 7 times!” Before leaving the stage, Daulne demanded one last jam from the bassist and guitarist over which she offered the mic to the audience. A few volunteers surfaced, singing sweet riffs along the lines of “Thank you for coming to Boston, you all were amazing”—and I couldn’t have agreed more.
DOWNLOAD: Zap Mama - Singing Sisters (MP3) or Follow us for more Zap Mama MP3s (Twitter)
he is amazing bro his style can not be touched....some people dont know what he is talking about caz u dont do what he does he is sickkk bra
by dylyn on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 11.59 am from the entry: Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)
Wow,Great post.Thanks for sharing with us. land wi
by wisconsin land on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 09.53 am from the entry: of Montreal + Gang Gang Dance - Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA; Oct. 30, 2008)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
I can not believe I left before G. Love showed up! My 15-year-old Philly girl self would be so ashamed of lame, future Beth.
Also, Marie Daulne is gorgeous.