Celebrate 20 years of Toubab Krewe with West African-influenced music at xBk
By Fred Love
Twenty years as a percussionist with Toubab Krewe has taught Luke Quaranta just how vital music is to the human experience. After two decades on the road, he’s seen firsthand how sound can bridge divides and bring people together.
“We go around the country and play music for twenty years and you realize how important is to gather around music,” he said. “Music is as essential to us as food and water.”
Toubab Krewe has spent the past two decades crafting a distinctive musical identity by blending American styles with West African traditions and instrumentation. The Asheville, North Carolina–based band is now in the midst of a 20-year anniversary tour, which stops at xBk on Wednesday.
Many of the band’s five members have known each other since before high school, long before they were drawn to the rich rhythmic and melodic vocabulary of West Africa. Their fascination led them to seek out teachers and culture bearers who could guide their understanding. Quaranta has traveled to Mali three times since 2007 to study with master musicians and immerse himself in the region’s musical heritage.
“There’s a real canon of traditional music in west Africa related to culture bearers and musicians and historians that pass the music down through families,” he said. “We studied with artists in that tradition. Culturally, the fact there’s so many different ethnic groups makes it a super diverse place, so there’s a lot of different styles of music and instrumentation.”
Quaranta plays traditional percussion instruments such as djembe and dunduns. Bandmate Justin Perkins performs on kora and kamelngoni, both traditional harps. Terrence Houston anchors the group on drum set, Drew Heller plays guitar and keys, and Justin Kimmel contributes bass and keys.
Together, they combine traditional African sounds with elements of rock, Appalachian music, and the improvisational spirit of jam bands, creating a sound that’s both exploratory and deeply rooted. Most of their compositions are instrumental, relying on dynamic interplay, layered textures, and rhythmic complexity. Two decades of touring and recording have honed the ensemble into a formidable live act. Their catalog includes a live album and three studio releases, with Stylo from 2018 marking their most recent studio effort.
Celebrate 20 years of Toubab Krewe on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at xBk Live. Tickets are available through the xBk website.
Toubab Krewe w/ Erf
Wednesday, Nov. 19
Doors: 6 p.m. | Show: 7 p.m.
All Ages