Paramount welcomes second act in World Music Series
Published 10:13 am Tuesday, July 15, 2014
The Paramount’s second musician in their World Music Series is set to come to Austin Wednesday.
Noura Mint Seymali is set to perform at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Historic Paramount Theatre in Austin. The Paramount’s World Music Series is a partnership between the Paramount Theatre and Rochester’s Riverside Concerts to bring four worldwide artists and one dance troupe to Austin this summer. Seymali is the second artist to perform in the series.
Seymali begins each concert playing ardine (a harp played by women), accompanied by the usual ensemble of tidinit (lute) and teubeul (drum) to set the tone before being joined on stage by a modern rhythm section. She will play more modern orchestra pieces, and she favors the international festival circuit.
She has attracted attention for her vocal agility, depth, and range. Her particular brand of “Afro-pop” reflects the context of cultural blending from the cultural geography of Mauritania being where Arab and Black Africa coalesce, linking tonal and rhythmic modalities from opposite sides of the Sahara and setting it to a back beat.
The Paramount Theatre and Riverside Concerts have hosted similar events in the past, which have been well received. The countries and styles of the artists are different each year, and the concerts each last about an hour long. Admission is free. For more information, call 507-434-0934.