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SXSW scene report: Francis Mbappe
Fronting a three-piece combo with a low slung Fender jazz bass, Francis Mbappe was a commanding presence on the tiny stage of Austin’s cavernous jazz cellar.
Tall and lean with an expressive face that contorted with passion and cracked with joy, he led his ensemble through a set full of musical twists and turns. One moment he was slinking through smooth jazzy grooves the next he was furiously slapping out a wicked funk pattern.
Originally from Cameroon, Mbappe’s vocals alternated between English lyrics set to soaring African melodies and upbeat rhythmic chants in his mother tongue. Though he took the stage at 8 pm, Mbappe played to a full house full of seasoned music fans who treated him as a master. At the end of his set, the crowd coaxed an encore out of the ensemble, a haunting love song that began as a passionate cry set over a sparse rhythmic groove and built into an emotional burst of epic rock. Beautiful.
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