#4 Thoughts Aboard the Africa Express
Jon McClure of Reverend & The Makers
“The Africa Express UK Train Tour 2012 was just amazing. I’ve done several
trips with them before including two to Africa but this time was different in so
much as there were hundreds of us. Its a huge learning experience, especially
with the African musicians. A lot of them are from French speaking West Africa
so the only communication is a musical one and in that way its a
purely artistic thing. The way we conceive of making music is so
different in Europe and North America.
I just love Amadou. Im reading his book at the minute. To escape a
blind school in 1960’s Mali, and emerge as a genuine superstar is a
bit of a movie isnt it ? Just chilling with him. The senagalese lads
are funny too. They kept laughing at my terrible pronunciation.
I went to a 6th form college Pop-up event in Stoke. I liked the look on peoples’
faces when a full congolese band just walk through the middle of Stoke
on a sunday afternoon Magical!
Freedom means:
The ability to do whatever you please, without hurting anyone.
Whenever you like. wherever you like. I think when your with guys from
Northern Mali who have had to flee from a militia who wont let them
play music in any form, it kind of hits home that we are quite free in
the west really arent we?”
