Baldwin brings funk back home

James Baldwin left his hometown of Prince George for the big city lights a few years ago not just to play music but to formally study it. The Prince George Secondary School graduate is front man and guitarist for Jarimba, an African funk rock band based out of Vancouver.

“I had so many goals and objectives when I came out here,” he said Tuesday from Vancouver. Baldwin is finishing a music degree at Vancouver Community College so that comes first in priorities but playing guitar professionally is a close second. Along the way, he’s discovered a new beat.

“I come from a jazz, blues, metal, rock, country background but I was at a drum workshop in Vancouver and had my eyes and ears opened to West African music and traditions. Our project started with Robin (Layne) and Diego (Zarogoza) playing together and it just took off from there.”

Layne is the group’s composer and marimba player, Zarogoza does back-up vocals and plays congos and percussion instruments. Jarimba minus Zarogoza, who can’t make this trip, will be playing The Rum Jungle on July 31. After that, the group heads to Wells for the ArtsWells Festival before heading back to Vancouver for Afrikadey Festival 2008.

Jarimba’s debut album was released this year. Their sound (check out Mataway, Mami Wata and Freedom on their web page) combines the music of West Africa with jazz and Afro-Cuban influences. The show they have planned for Prince George promises to be a cultural as well as musical experience. Jarimba, which includes Kocassale Dioubate (who released his first CD of traditional African music in July) on vocals and djembe, Evan Bates on electric bass and Brendan Krieg on drum kit, is “percussion heavy,” says Baldwin, noting four of its members play percussion instruments.

“Our goal is to take the audience on a musical journey across the continents,” he said. “So this show at the Rum Jungle is a really good opportunity for people to hear music from other cultures and also hear different musical backgrounds coming together. Our sound is so unique because it’s a blend of things. At the end of the day, though, it’s all about having fun.”

Baldwin was drawn to playing guitar as a youth simply because he liked the sound. These days he teaches guitar lessons both privately and at schools – he’s on the faculty of the Sarah McLachan Music Outreach Program as a guitar instructor.

Jarimba plays The Rum Jungle on July 31. Tickets are available at the door.