Shakori Sugar: Sol's Blues & GarDel's Timba

I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked at Shakori Hills this spring. But I did make it to see Orquesta GarDel in the Dance Tent Friday night. Of course, they led off with their signature Shakori tune, "Welcome to Shakori Hills."



At one point, emcee Pierce Freelon of The Beast jumped on stage to do an exuberant version of their joint tune "Translation," featured on last year's The Beast album Silence Fiction.

The GarDel song that debuted last year at Saxapahaw as "Eric's Timba" now has a new title: "Lo Que Tu Querias." Here's a full-length video from Shakori Friday night-- music by pianist Eric Hirsh and lyrics by sonero Nelson Delgado:



I appreciate Nelson's lyrical shoutout at about 2 min. 20 sec!

The set ended with their usual finale, the Gilberto Santa Rosa cover "La Agarra Bajando." Eric dressed it up with solos on both piano and Moog.

Sightreading: Orquesta GarDel's Shakori Setlist




Sol & Funk Root

I hung around to catch a few songs of zydeco priestess Rosie Ledet, as well as blues guitarist Sol with his band Funk Root. Sol had help from the Dynamite Brothers as well as vocalist/saxophonist Tim Smith.



At one point, Brevan Hampden, who played with GarDel, grabbed a tambourine and jumped onstage to join Robert Cantrell in the rhythm section.



Here's a song Sol introduced as new and unrecorded, with the official title "Sweet Sugah Momma":