African musicians frequently seem puzzled by the English reluctance to get up and dance. "There is space here if you want to move around," says Jalikunda leader Seckou Keita, gesturing with a slightly hurt expression at the gap at the front of the stage. He is reassured as a portion of the smallish audience obediently troop forward.
Keita is a world-renowned virtuoso on the kora, a kind of African lute. His band Jalikunda root their music in the songs and rhythms of southern Senegal, and they have proved popular on the European festival circuit. An indoor gig at a half-empty club on a dark Manchester night may not show them in their best light, but you need only close your eyes and lose yourself in the spiralling kora melodies to imagine yourself somewhere more exotic.
Tonight's gig begins with just the frontline of kora players, who serenade us with a shimmering tapestry of sound. They beam radiant grins as the music starts to gather momentum, the melodies criss-crossing hypnotically. When things are starting to cook, two female singers suddenly take to the stage and let loose a shrill, jubilant vocal line that sends shivers up the spine. Then come assorted percussionists, a lead guitarist and a bass player, each instrument slotting into a throbbing wall of sound. It's party time all the way now, with various band members plunging off the stage and whirling around. A few brave punters join in, and the intensity goes up a notch. Finally, one of the seated percussionists can't contain himself: throwing his drum around his neck he gets up and strikes a warrior-like pose at the front of the stage. His band mates grin.
Perhaps because of the small, reluctant audience, Jalikunda are not always mindful of the need for peaks and troughs, tensions and releases. Instead they hammer and holler to whip their spectators into shape. They half-succeed, but are no doubt looking forward to the festival season, when the party and dancing can properly begin.
· At the Acorn, Penzance (01736 365520), tonight; the Phoenix, Exeter (01392 667080), on Sunday; Colston Hall, Bristol (0117-922 3682), Monday; then continues touring.
