Gigi cancels; Hassan Hakmoun to replace

The Wisconsin Union Theater announces that Gigi has canceled her fall tour and will not perform in the theater this season. Moroccan musician Hassan Hakmoun has been booked for the same day and time, Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m.

Son of a Moroccan Gnawa healer, Hakmoun began performing publicly in the Djemma el-Fna square of Marrakech during his very early childhood. By age 7 he began to play the sintir, a three-stringed long-necked African lute producing the bass tones that underlie the derdeba trance ceremonies of the Gnawa, Morocco’s descendants of African slaves. The derdeba ceremonies are all-night affairs wherein evil spirits believed to have inhabited particular persons or places are exorcised by the hypnotic playing and chanting of the assembled musicians.

Now Morocco’s best-known musician, Hakmoun has played with Don Cherry, The Kronos Quartet, Paula Cole and Peter Gabriel, who described Hakmoun’s vocal capacities as among the most intriguing in the world. Hakmoun’s first international album, “Trance,” was released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label in 1992. Several others followed suit to much acclaim.

His latest album, “The Gift,” has been described by Thomas Rome of African Hypertext as “nearly orchestral in the scope of its aspirations, yet gracefully loose – in the way ensemble music sounds best in almost any African culture.

Through (or above) all of it, that captivating voice so fondly praised by Peter Gabriel maintains a benevolent and tranquil mastery. As in any Hassan Hakmoun performance, running throughout this extraordinary record is the incontrovertible evidence of a poised spirituality, hand-in-hand with a certain unbridled energy, also a Hakmoun trademark. The mixture can be breathtaking, particularly where, as here, Hakmoun and his army of backing vocalists have also favored us with the most sweetly melodic material yet seen in his music.”

Patrons holding tickets for the Gigi performance who would like to see Hakmoun don’t need to do anything. Their tickets will be sent to them in late August. Those preferring not to attend this show should call (608) 262-2201 for a refund.