Nuits d’Afrique | Far From Being a Calamity, Mo’Kalamity Was a Blessing.

Despite the sweltering heat, Mo’Kalamity still managed to heat up the Loto Québec stage during her very first Montreal performance. For the occasion, she was accompanied by two guitarists, a stylish flutist who also provided backing vocals, a drummer, a bassist, and a keyboardist. She appeared on stage dressed entirely in red, wearing her famous headscarf, which has become her signature look.

Throughout the concert, she danced with a smile on her face, clearly delighted to meet her new Montreal audience, which grew larger and larger as the evening progressed. We were treated to several tracks from her latest album, Shine, as well as other classics from the 2007 album Warriors of Light and the 2013 album Freedom of the Soul.

“Good evening, Montreal! Are you ready for a trip to Kingston?” she asks us, just before Gotta Get Away. She addresses the audience in French but also in English, while the intensity increases from one song to the next, sometimes without transition. The song What A Time was well received, probably because it is so relevant in the current context.

Of course, a song in Portuguese had to be included in the set list, and she chose Cima Vento from the album Freedom of the Soul. She took the opportunity to honor her guitarist by inviting him to the front of the stage for an electrifying solo. She did the same with her flutist, who treated us to a lively dancehall number that was greatly appreciated by the audience. We would have benefited from more moments like this. In fact, the flute blended perfectly with the electric guitar effects in the song Shine. She even got the crowd singing along to this last song, a gamble that paid off handsomely.

The microphone had a minor technical issue in the middle of the concert, but fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds. This may be her first concert in Montreal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes back very soon, now that her career has been relaunched after what I consider to be a too long pause.

Photo Credit: Mark Lachovsky