Globetrotting Band Performs Feb. 1 at Leeward College Theatre

Meet the Toubab Krewe band, set to play on the LCC stage: (from left) David Pransky, Justin Perkins, Luke Quaranta, Terrence Houston and Drew Heller. Photo courtesy of Mason Jar Media.

If you’re looking for a concert that features otherworldly music you can’t hear on the radio, Toubab Krewe may be the answer.

The band will be making a stop Feb. 1 at the Leeward Community College Theatre.

“The band has always dreamed of traveling to and performing in Hawaii,” said percussionist and djembe player Luke Quaranta. “The band is looking forward to visiting the Islands and enjoying the natural beauty, and having the chance to share our music with a new audience.”

This five-member group is based in Asheville, N.C., and has been combining sounds from around the globe since 2005. Rooted in both rock ‘n’ roll and traditional music of West Africa, their signature sound has evolved to include influences from Louisiana, South America and Latin America.

“Ultimately, it can best be described as ‘creole,’ or a language that is born from the coming together of many languages,” said Quaranta.

Together, the bandmates traveled widely between 1994 and 2004, to places such as Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali. Toubab Krewe’s instruments and sounds reflect their travels.

The djembe, for example, is a goblet-shaped drum from West Africa that dates back to approximately 1200 AD.

“It is a very important instrument in West African traditional and contemporary music,” explained Quaranta. “It is a core part of our band’s sound, and it is my primary instrument.

“Folks can expect a high-energy dance concert that is deeply rooted in traditional music from around the world,” Quaranta added. “The show will be entertaining for young and old alike, and for concertgoers who want to dance or listen.”

Their latest album, TK2, was released in September 2010, and the band currently is in the process of recording its next studio album.

“The most important aspect of our next album will be the approach to recording,” Quaranta said. “I believe we will again center our experience around collaborating and writing the new music; it will be a true representation of where we are coming from as a band in the moment of recording.”

Tickets cost $18 for LCC faculty and students, $20 for other students, seniors and military, and $25 for general-admission adults. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8. The concert is open to all ages.

For more information on Toubab Krewe, visit toubabkrewe.com.

For tickets, go to lcctheatre.hawaii.edu/toubabkrewe.html or call the box office at 455-0385.