#fulah

Fulani

Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio...... Dan Fodio united the Fulah [i.e. Fulani] tribes into an army which he inspired with his own spirit. Thirsting for plunder and paradise, the Fulahs swept over the Sudan; they marched into battle for freedom and injustice practices over the region.... Shehu (meaning 'teacher'), Uthman Dan Fodio

The air was cold, and the raindrops were heavy on Halloween night in Boston. As party-goers made their way down the eerie steps to the basement, many grabbed a beer and squeezed through the crowd toward where the music was coming from, appearing almost zombie like. 

Fulah kicked off the night, with songs from their first album, self-titled Fulah. The music was captivating, with a reggae groove and incorporation of funky twang of the guitar played by Frank Vasallo.

As the song progressed, and I began to feel the crowd move to the beat, Fulah’s sax player, Branden De Caso, began playing melodies that the audience really loved. The group jammed for a few sections, and then Frank began singing, along with Paul Garcia, the drummer, who contributed to vocals here and there. He kept the band on time and created a cool vibe of hip-hop influence into his drums.

On keyboard was Jenn Whan; and Julian Rodriguez played on the bass. They each carried there own and really allowed for the music to come together.

Once the band was warmed up they really got the crowded basement of college students dressed in costumes, moving. Many people like Hannah Sigel even began moshing, “My favorite part, hands down, was the mosh circle in the middle! That song called for some moshing,” she said.

Fulah played for about 45 minutes, and gave everyone a taste of their repertoire. This was the first gig in Boston for Fulah, since they are originally from Miami, Fl.

After their set, I spoke to Paul about how the night went. “We sounded good, I think the crowd really dug it! We definitely hope to play more shows around Boston,” he said.

Nick Vazquez, singer of local Boston Ska band, Poor Jeremy host’s events like this one on a regular basis. After hearing Fulah he said, “This is what the scene is lacking. Their music is different, I really dig it!”

Their Hispanic roots along with Jazz training is definitely reflected in their music. Giving Fulah a Reggae – Latin – Funk – good to vibe to sound.

For these Berklee musicians, playing a basement house party on Halloween was an interesting and lucrative experience. The crowd certainly welcomed them, and jammed out to the Fulah grooves.

These Miami kids turned Bostonian had a successful first gig. The band, as a whole, said they were “glad to be playing in Boston, where the scene is so different and live.”

To find out when Fulah is playing next visit their website!

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xo, Mal.