Tucan Tucan

Wednesday night after a couple of disappointing events we went to the evening jazz festival show featuring a band based in Cape Town called Tucan Tucan. This Afro- Caribbean Jazz Fusion band was the baddest group I’ve seen in a long time. The group founded by Drummer / Vocalist Frank Paco, includes Helder Gonzaga-Bass; Texito Langa-Drums/Percussions; Muriel Marco-Piano & Keyboards; Angelo Syster-Guitar; Chantal Wilkinson-Vocals; Xixel Langa-vocals. The group creates music reflective of their varied cultural and ethnic cultures. Latino rhythms like salsa, samba and bossa nova, and African elements lift and soar when melded together. The lyrics are performed in Spanish, Portuguese, English and African languages (including Sesotho, Xhosa, Zulu, Ronga and Shangaan).

Now, throughout the evening they had the entire packed house grooving. There were two vocalists, a Brazilian woman, Chantal, and Xixel Langa, a petite fireball from Mozambique (who reminds me in the most beautiful ways of Tiffany J). Xixel had this beautiful grace and fluidity when she danced as well as the unique ability to move her hips as if they were separated from the rest of her body. There was one particular dance she did that I have since dubbed “the invitation,” which is a mix between African and belly dancing, that I am determined to learn. I have already warned Marcus, he better watch out once I master it.

Towards the end of the night Xixel asked the audience if there were any men that wanted to show her how they can “shake what their mama gave them.” One guy, who had to be in his late 50’s, got on stage and started doing an enthusiastic dance that was a mix between The Humpty Dance and The Butt. The band and the crowd went crazy! She then called for a lady to come to stage and shake it. Now Xixel had been putting on a show all evening, so whichever woman came to the stage was going to have to bring it in order to compete. An Indian woman climbed on stage and put Shakira to shame with exuberant belly dancing. At this point the energy is just rolling through the crowd, and the harder she danced, the louder the band played. She had the crowd so hyped that Xixel asked if there were any other ladies that wanted to join the band on stage to dance. Now a young black South African woman from the row directly in front of us climbed onstage, threw off her jacket and started to do freak down the African Drummer, who had earlier in the evening performed a really beautiful solo about Ja Rastafari. I thought her friends were going to have to pull her off the stage. It was a truly wonderful way to end the evening {we copped a couple of their albums, which you can peep online or at your local serious music store.}