Review of “Throw Down Your Heart”
I knew going into this special viewing of the Bela Fleck documentary, “Throw Down Your Heart”, that it was going to be special event. But my expectations were not only met but were exceeded.
For starters, the fans came out in force by showing up early to get in line for a front row seat. The line stretched from the side entrance at the Coolidge Corner Theatre all the way into the back parking lot and out past the entrance to the CVS. We were beginning to wonder if our tickets were even good enough to secure a seat.
Luckily, the room was larger then I remembered. We got in and had plenty of seats to choose from. The sold out crowd appeared to be a healthy mix of old and young music geeks with the occasional burnt out hippie. As we settled in, our host came walking down the aisle to introduce the film and to explain that following Bela will be joining us for some Q&A and to play a little music that was inspired from this experience.
Lights out, here we go. It starts out in the eastern country of Uganda where we meet Haruna Walusimbi, the first of many African musicians that Bela would make a profound connection with both musically and personally. This section of the film was one of the more emotional and memorable moments for me and perhaps Bela, although if you ask him ALL of it was equally memorable. There’s a moment at the end of this part of the trip, just before he leaves the village, where Bela is left standing there, on the verge of tears, unable to express the emotions he felt as the random villagers came up to shake his hand and to welcome him back any time he was in Africa. It was a strong sense of community that Bela wasn’t use to back in the United States.
Haruna also gave us an emotional moment when he and Bela are playing a song that he wrote about his father, who passed away when he was just a young boy. Haruna had to take care of his family and be the man of the house and the song is about how proud his father would be of him after all he’s accomplished as a young man and now as a grown up.
The Thumb Piano is introduced to us in Uganda. This lovely instrument is found all over Africa and in the next leg of the trip, Tanzania, we’re introduced to a blind musician, Anania Ngoliga, who plucks the thin metal strips at the same speed that a Stevie Ray Vaughn would race through his guitar solos. Both witty and crazy at the same time, when asked why two local women were thrown in jail for fighting over him he simply replied, “try me and you’ll see”. Anania’s ability to scat every single note as he plays on the Thumb Piano is mind-boggling.
Tanzania also introduced us to the music of Hukewe Zawose. Now deceased, his family has carried his legacy on. They have a unique singing style that is called gogo singing.
After Tanzania Bela moved on to The Gambia. It’s here that the origin of the banjo has been traced back to the African instrument, the akonting. During the second round of slave trafficking, the slave drivers allowed the Africans to bring on board one instrument as to help keep their spirits up. They believed this would help diminish the casualty rates that were so high during the first trip. Once back in the states, the instrument remained in play unlike tribal drums that were seen as a disturbance. The white southern slave owners eventually adopted the instrument starting the evolution process of the banjo we now know today.
The Jatta Family is a well known family within the banjo community who are helping to breathe life back into this old instrument that was on the verge of becoming extinct. So it was a must stop for Bela. Unlike the banjo, the akonting has only two strings. But the shape is just like that of a banjo – big round base with a neck stretching out from the base.
The last stop on Bela’s journey is Mali. Mali is considered Africa’s musical epicenter and just about every top musician migrates to this West African country. Bela is greeted by Oumou Sangare, a famous female vocalist. And when we say famous, here in Mali she’s so famous that she doesn’t even need to drive with a license plate. Lets just say that there aren’t too many other Land Rovers cruising around the town. Like many Africans, her life story is a testament to the strength of humanity. Many Africans are able to relate to Oumou because she came from such a poor upbringing so her success provides the locals with hope. And upon first listen to her sing, you’ll know why she’s become so successful.
I could go on about the amazing musicians that this film introduces you to but it would take up another full page of computer space so I’ll let the album, which is currently available for purchase, and the DVD when it comes out in November, introduce you to the rest of the story.
One of the more interesting tidbits about this film was how Sony originally said they would help fund the making but then dropped it after they saw the raw footage. They claimed they didn’t have anything promising! In fact, they asked if Bela would be interested in returning to Africa to film some extra footage with a Forest Whitaker type of actor. Bela and his brother, Sascha Paladino, felt that Sony just didn’t understand the direction they wanted to go so they made the bold decision to go it alone.
So it’s a great story of “who’s laughing now” cause based on the response from the crowd in Brookline to the reactions I’ve heard from festivals and showings, the album and DVD should be a big success.
Keep an eye on Bela’s myspace page for up and coming tours with some of the musicians that took part in the making of both the movie and album. They plan to release the DVD in November where there will be a directors cut. The original film had an hour more of footage but apparently all festival people said that if it’s not 90 minutes or less it won’t make it into their schedules. To see if any screenings are happening near you, visit the official move website at www.throwdownyourheart.com.
Bela Fleck at Coolidge Corner Theatre
Seeing Bela Fleck in person is a requirement for any music fan. Seeing Bela Fleck as he traverses the continent of Africa researching the little known source of the Banjo and getting to see him perform some of the music he recorded on this trip live is one hell of a treat.
Guess what Boston, you can have your cake and eat it too come next Thursday when Bela comes rolling in with film in hand. The film, “Throw Down Your Heart“, has one several awards including the Audience Award at South by Southwest and at the Vancouver Film Festival.
The film helps shine a bright spot on what is commonly seen as a demilitarized zone in the media – Africa. With all the stories about HIV/AIDS, civil wars and genocide, it’s no wonder most people see this continent in a dark light. Bela takes us on a journey through the Africa that very few witness because very few ever take the time to expose.
Tickets are available online at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. After the showing Bela will be performing some of the music that was recorded during this trip and also participating in some Q&A.
Learn more about “Throw Down Your Heart”
Official website of “Throw Down Your Heart”
Watch the trailer:
About Editor
Name: Luke "Kip" Owen
Location: Boston, MA
Contact: kippy[AT]hip2besquare[DOT]net
Twitter: twitter.com/kipdog
Youtube: youtube.com/kipdog
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