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Chris Berry
Friday (January 1), Voyage East, Haiku, 8pm

by Anuhea Yagi

December 31, 2009

Come New Year’s Day, if you’re not paying homage to the porcelain gods, you’re one of the lucky few. Fewer still will snag tickets to see Chris Berry—the Zimbabwean mbira (thumb piano)-possessed young man who, at 18 years old, journeyed for ten days down the Congo river to train for ten years under mbira master Monderek Muchena. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, Berry’s first Afro-inspiration came in his early teens, after shoplifting a few random cassette tapes—one being Fela Kuti’s Black President. Henceforth he was hooked, and at the age of 13 placed himself under the tutelage of legendary Congolese drummer Titos Sompa. During his decade in Africa, Berry intensely studied the ngoma drum, and became a Shoma music master who has the distinction of “gwenyambira,” or “one whose music calls the spirits.” By now, I may have likely lost the attentions of the Choom Gang; but if you are still reading, perk up! Joining Berry is Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead, alongside the multi-instrumental talents of Michael Kang of The String Cheese Incident fame, and Patrice Blanchard on bass, who has played with Berry’s group Panjea, as well as Amy Winehouse and Angelique Kidjo. $35-$40, 635-5556 or www.dovepresents.com