The River & Sky Beach Stage offers audience and performers alike a unique experience to party together on an actual beach — there's no stage, only a gazebo where the artists play, inches away from the crowd.
Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar didn't so much bridge the gap as demolish it completely. Moctar, a breakout star from Niger who went viral via cell phone file-trading networks in West Africa, built on his burgeoning international acclaim with a hypnotic live show. Joined by a rhythm guitarist, bassist and a drummer, Moctar's infinite trove of winding guitar melodies drew the audience into a trance as the quartet doled out lengthy, electric Tuareg rock jams.
The set was impressive enough, but Moctar turned things up several notches during his audience-demanded encore, which took the form of a 20-minute, single-song jam, where a sweat-soaked Moctar spent the entire time in the crowd, effortlessly weaving melodies on his guitar to a crowd of adoring, dancing fans. The more time Moctar spent in the crowd, the more the audience reacted with religious fervour, which only encouraged him more. River & Sky is best at bringing people together, and Mdou Moctar's set stretched that MO to its most glorious conclusion.
Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar didn't so much bridge the gap as demolish it completely. Moctar, a breakout star from Niger who went viral via cell phone file-trading networks in West Africa, built on his burgeoning international acclaim with a hypnotic live show. Joined by a rhythm guitarist, bassist and a drummer, Moctar's infinite trove of winding guitar melodies drew the audience into a trance as the quartet doled out lengthy, electric Tuareg rock jams.
The set was impressive enough, but Moctar turned things up several notches during his audience-demanded encore, which took the form of a 20-minute, single-song jam, where a sweat-soaked Moctar spent the entire time in the crowd, effortlessly weaving melodies on his guitar to a crowd of adoring, dancing fans. The more time Moctar spent in the crowd, the more the audience reacted with religious fervour, which only encouraged him more. River & Sky is best at bringing people together, and Mdou Moctar's set stretched that MO to its most glorious conclusion.
