Zap Mama

Zap Mama has undergone a dramatic evolution since its initial incarnation as an all-female a cappella quintet that knit a heady mix of African and European music together. It soon became evident that the group's galvanizing force was Marie Daulne, raised in Europe, the daughter of a Belgian father and Congolese mother, whose great epiphany occurred when, as a young adult, she became reacquainted with music of the pygmies she had heard as a child. Now Zap Mama is Daulne and whoever she surrounds herself with, which on her latest, Supermoon (Heads Up), is an international multitude including high-profile cameos from the likes of Meshell Ndegeocello, Michael Franti, and even David Gilmore, whose chunky guitar chords drive the electro-funk scorcher "Toma Taboo." Which brings up the other Zap Mama trend: Even though Supermoon, like other recent albums, is an often-exhilarating feast of cross-cultural elements ranging from the heart of Africa to Miles-ian jazz and the Caribbean, the overall fabric is a contemporary sheen of R&B/funk. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld said.
Tue., Oct. 23, 7 p.m., 2007