Institute of Contemporary Arts

CMM: Outhouse Ruhabi

Date: 18 May 2008

Outhouse Ruhabi. Photo:Gabriel Green

Gabriel Green 

What do you get when you take one top UK jazz ensemble and add five of The Gambia's most talented drummers? The answer...Outhouse Ruhabi , a unique collaboration between the Wolof groove of the Sabar drum and contemporary improv jazz. Organised as part of the NGO ECCO International (Education through Communication and Culture Organisation) tonight promised to be a highlight in the ICA's Season of Contemporary Music.

Once everyone had found their seats in a packed theatre the evening began with traditional folk singer Olivia Chaney . London based Chaney sings in a very classical style, dealing with ‘old world' subjects such as soldier's returning home from war to faithful maidens, grieving mothers and resistance fighters. Her clear and strong voice really carried the tales which showed the great Irish oral tradition is alive and well. Accompanying herself with simple guitar, accordian and keys, Chaney moved through an excellent set, charming the audience and setting things off nicely.

So onto the main act of the evening. The lights were down low and the stage was set as Outhouse Ruhabi , all nine of them, stepped to their instruments. Alongside the saxophones and double bass sat the Sabar drums; native to Senegal and The Gambia these drums had a distinctive crisp and loud sound that rattled the air in the room. From the very first beat Outhouse Ruhabi absolutely rocked the place.Working together in unison to create potent rhythms of free flowing sax entwined with pounding drums before riffing off one another with ease. You could tell they immensely enjoyed playing together and had no trouble getting the crowd going too, at one point during ‘Lumbal - the dog dance' certain members of the audience could hold back no longer and stormed down from their seats to proudly shake their stuff!

As Outhouse Ruhabi played on they showed us the full range of bakas (rhythms) of Wolof drumming, as different members combined to create hard hitting grooves that infectiously bridged genres, most notably on ‘Ras'. One long soaring vocal captured a deeper more intense side of the music before they broke into a traditional wrestling rhythm. Bringing out chol and talking drums Outhouse Ruhabi had us well and truly hooked. Time changes, layered structures and brilliant interplay were all hallmarks of this innovative band who, when returning for an encore, gave us a scorching rendition of ‘Ndega'. Taking their bow at the end to whoops, hollers and great applause Outhouse Ruhabi departed into the night, with their bakas echoing behind them.

Olivia Chaney. Photo: Gabriel Green

Outhouse Ruhabi. Photo: Gabriel Green