Next Stage welcomes Rhythm Nomads for return to indoor concerts
Massamba Diop, left, joins Tony Vacca in concert at Next Stage.
Arts

Next Stage welcomes Rhythm Nomads for return to indoor concerts

PUTNEY — Marking the performing arts venue's return to indoor programming, Next Stage Arts will present Rhythm Nomads on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Rhythm Nomads is a percussion-driven world music project, featuring Tony Vacca and his one-of-a-kind percussion spectacle; Senegalese griot and talking drum master Massamba Diop (whose drumming can be heard throughout the Black Panther soundtrack); and Jo Sallins, whose approach to the electric bass has been redefining the instrument for decades.

Vacca is a true “rhythm nomad,” incorporating a world of percussion music and instruments to create something all his own. Over the course of his career, he has made a habit of pushing the conventions of world music into new territory, both as a soloist and as the leader of his World Rhythms Ensemble.

Diop, from Senegal, is a master of the tama, or talking drum. He is the co-founder of The Senegal-America Project and has worked with Afropop superstar Baaba Maal and Daande Lenol (“The Voice of the People”) since its inception more than 20 years ago. During that time, he has incorporated the fiery Wolof traditions of his homeland into a contemporary sound.

A Springfield, Mass.–based multi-instrumentalist, Sallins started his musical career early, opening for Kool & the Gang at age 10. He began studying jazz drumming at age 14 with Billy Arnold, and credits Arnold with expanding his musical horizons, introducing him to musicians like keyboardist Chick Corea and electric bassist Stanley Clarke.

He now plays drums, bass, keyboard, percussion, and other instruments; on his 2018 DVD 2M3 Live, he can be seen playing bass and piano at the same time.

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