Aciable (ah-see-AH-blay) was originally formed by drummer John Skoczen and his guitarist friend BT in Austin in 2008. Skoczen was already in the West African drum ensemble Bokoso, and the two musicians shared the interest in creating a band based on African Soukous (also called Lingala or Congo, and formerly known as African Rumba). They invited other members to join, including vocalist (and dancer!) Jean-Claude Lessou from the Ivory Coast, and Aciable was quickly born..
Supposedly the two founding members have moved on, but the band has stayed together and now have a sound that has evolved away from Soukous. Soukous is a dance-based music that typically involves electric guitar fingerpicking, acoustic bass, trumpet/sax, and a variety of percussion-- formed primarily in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo and has Afro-Cuban influences.
....
The Aciable that I saw the other night is now a fusion of afro-pop, reggae, and South African Mbaqanga. The South African influence that I heard may not be intentional, but the harmonizing ladies of Aciable-- punctuated with Jean-Claude's sometimes-growling vocals-- sure reminded me of the South African groups Dark City Sisters and Mahotella Queens. They've got drums, bass, djembe, shekere, keys, and a mixture of handheld percussive instruments. Jean-Claude and the ladies take turns with the lead throughout the repertoire, consistently evocative of African sunshine no matter who is up front. The vocalists take care of your heart, and the thumping band takes care of the rest of your body.
The African musical styles mentioned earlier are not common knowledge here in the USA-- but if you like to dance, Aciable is a great way to get your African groove on, or simply just get happy. ....
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