Well, today got interesting. YaYa explained that Assane N'Diaye regularly plays at the club across the street from Mamoune's house.
And it gets cooler...it just so happens that Lamine N'Diaye (YaYa's nephew) is brothers with Assane N'Daiye! As YaYa explained, "same mom, same dad."
Upon further conversation and questioning, I was later able to understand that Lamine's dad and Assane's dad are brothers.
Which means they're cousins. Not brothers. I'm now wondering what else has been lost in translation between us. Our divorce continues to make more and more sense with every day...
Anyway...
Lamine regularly goes to Assane's shows to help out, and can bring a guest for free. After expressing my adoration for Assane N'Diaye to Lamine (through much exaggerated gesturing, as Lamine does not speak English), he got the hint and invited me! At about 10:00, I asked if I should be getting ready for the show. Instead, it is suggested that I take a nap, as we still have several hours before it gets started. In Senegal, the show doesn't start until 2:00 am! Holy caffeine drinks, batman!
At about 2:00 am, I get dressed and Lamine and I head over to the club. We get into the club and sit down on a red velvet sofa when his phone rings. He tells/gestures me to follow him, and we walk out of the club to some nearby parked cars. We approach a black SUV, and the automatic window lowers. I'm pretty sure I know who I'm looking at, but just to be sure, Lamine gestures to the car and says, "Assane."
Holy freakin' cow.
Assane looks at me from the driver's seat and says, "Na nga def." (Hello, how are you?)
Me: Waaw! Na nga def! (Yes! Hello, how are you?)
Assane: What is your name?
Me: Tiffany!
Assane: My name is Assane.
Me: Oh my god! I know that!
Yes, I really am punctuating every response with an auditory exclamation mark. And a big huge stupid grin. I try out some Wolof, and I think that I tell him that I am very happy. And I think he told me that he is very happy, too. Quietly, I ask Lamine if I can ask Assane to have my picture taken with him. It sounds like this: "Photo?" Lamine nods, and I ask Assane if I can have my picture taken with him. It sounds like this: "Photo?"
Assane gets out of his car and puts his arm around me, and Lamine takes this picture with my cell phone:
I call it "Tubab Steals the Flash."
I'm broken-hearted. Who will ever believe that that dark shadowy figure is a famous rock star?
Lamine takes off and grabs the professional photographer who has been circulating inside the club. He poses us for this picture. Yes, Assane's arm is around me.
And this picture, including Lamine. Note the family resemblance. In this photo, I am wearing my "OMG, I'm having my picture taken with Assane N'Diaye!" face. A little too much, you think?
I thank Assane profusely and Lamine and I head back inside. Lamine brought me an orange Fanta to drink. I poured it into the glass with ice and drank it down. By now, it was 2:30 am and I was totally jacked on adrenaline! Sitting there with Lamine, not speaking, became awkward. I pulled out my phone and looked for a game that I could use to keep us entertained. Thank you, Android, and your "Paper Toss" app for giving us something to focus on!
Finally, the show got started, and Lamine took me up on a platform right off the left of the stage. We were standing right next to the band, and I was so happy that I didn't even mind that I was the only white person in the whole club, looking quite out of place. The music was fantastic, and Lamine kept modeling some dance moves for me to try. Having let go of any kind of worries about what a dork I must look like, I totally had at it, trying to copy him as best as I could. The band definitely found me amusing, as evidenced by their smiles. The tama drummer kept looking at me, and was demonstrating what I was supposed to be doing with my pelvis as I danced. At least, that's what I think he was demonstrating...could have been that he was sending me an entirely different message...
During the performance, people would approach Assane and put money into his hand. Lamine gave me some money, and I handed it to Assane as he sang.
After the show, (which, by the way, ended at 4:40 am) Lamine grabbed Assane's half-full water bottle at his microphone stand. Lamine offered me some, and I gladly drank from it. Even if I had not been as miserably parched as I was after that night, I still would have jumped at the chance to share a water bottle with Assane N'Diaye! Because OMG! It's Assane N'Diaye!
On our way home, Lamine's friend told me I was a very good dancer. I know he was lying, but it was nice of him to say so. I told Lamine that that was one of the best nights I had ever had. And even though he doesn't understand English, I think chances are good that he probably knew what I was saying.
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