Initially, I wasn’t planning to cover last Saturday’s show at La Brassée, I was going as a spectator, to discover the man everyone’s talking about at the moment, Alain Oyono. Originally from Cameroon, but living in Senegal for over a decade, the saxophonist, who was a member of Youssou N’Dour’s “Super Étoile de Dakar” orchestra, gave us an amazing show. So much so that it was hard to keep it to myself, so here it goes.
By way of introduction, he opts for gentleness with The Beginning, which also marks the start of the artist’s solo career, before showing us his singing talents on Loba, which means God in Douala, the language spoken in the coastal region of Cameroon. These tunes immediately remind me of Kenny G, whom I used to listen to over and over again in my youth.
Against a backdrop of carefully arranged instrumentals, and equipped with a laptop, pedals and mini-console, Alain, who is also an author, composer and performer, manages not only to play his instrument but also to engineer it. On some tracks, notes from piano, afrobeat or afro jazz are used as a basis for him to improvise on as he pleases. On other tracks, he introduces pre-recorded ambient noises, backing vocals and other sounds to complement his instrument.
In his latest EP released in 2023, entitled Transcendance, he pays tribute to nature, notably in the track “Ma nature”. “This album is dedicated to the ecosystem, especially in these difficult times. Fortunately, you’re bringing the warmth back here tonight,” he says, addressing the crowd.
Several instruments are added one after the other in the second half of the concert.
Alain returns to the stage first accompanied by Dauphin Mbuyi on bass, then a few songs later, Deo Munyakazi joins the duo with his inanga, a traditional Rwandan string instrument similar to the zither. Together, they create magic before our astonished eyes. They are joined by Dicko Fils, from Burkina Faso, with a bewitching voice reminiscent of the Sahel, and the charming Sylvie Picard, who enchant us each in their own way.
And just as we thought the concert was drawing to a close, Raphaël Ojo arrived with his djembe to add the finishing touch. The concert turned into a jam session, much to the delight of the audience, who gradually realized that they were in for a unique experience. The owner of La Brassée told me that this was one of his favorite concerts. “Are you enjoying it as much as I am right now?” he asked me between songs. “I’m floating,” I replied.
The concert couldn’t end without a tribute to the giant Manu Dibango, with a cover of the classic Soul Makossa, which pleased the couple sitting next to me. All in all, La Brassée audiences can count themselves lucky to have discovered an artist who will surely be making a name for himself on the Montreal art scene in 2025 and beyond!
Photo Credit: Peter Graham
