The Conical Glass: Stockholm Diary #9: Rain!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Stockholm Diary #9: Rain!

Right now, I'm looking out the window, and the sky is bright blue, with a few fluffy white clouds floating by. But I'm not fooled. It could start raining at any moment.

It has rained every day since we got here, except the first one. Sometimes it drizzles; other times, it turns into a full-fledged downpour. It is sheer folly to go out without an umbrella and rain poncho stuffed inside your bag, just in case.

"You should have been here last month -- it was sunny and warm every day!" some well-meaning people will tell us. I'm not sure I believe it, though. Stockholm and rain have become intertwined in my mind, like Björn and Benny or korv med bröd.

Stockholmers love to do things outside during the summer, presumably since they stay cooped up during the short, dark days of winter, so there are loads of outdoor activities going on here now. One of the biggest is the Kulturfestival, an annual event with tons of free concerts, circus acts, plays, and more. Last night had two promising events: a show by the Ale Möller Band, which was going to present top Swedish folk musicians in collaboration with performers from Greece, Senegal, Mexico and Quebec; and a huge troupe of Senegalese master drummers, led by Doudou N'Diaye Rose, who has worked with Peter Gabriel, Miles Davis and many other stars.

It started drizzling lightly when I headed out the door in the early evening, and the plaza was filled with people holding umbrellas. Luckily, during the Möller performance, the rain let up and a large crowd enjoyed the lively show. As soon as they played their encore, though, the rain started to fall in earnest. An emcee assured us that they would be reconfiguring the stage as quickly as possible for Doudou. I figured that we had to stay around for it; I mean, how often does a person get the chance to see 15 Senegalese master drummers? They had come all the way from Western Africa; the least we could do is put up with a bit of rain.

By the time the group took the stage at 9:30, it was pouring. Umbrellas were everywhere, blocking the view of many spectators, who grumbled and tried to push other people's umbrellas out of the way.

It was an amazing spectacle, and I'm sorry that it took place on such an utterly miserable night. We stayed for about 40 minutes of the promised 90-minute performance, because after a while, I was tired of being jostled and I could feel that the bottoms of my jeans and my shoes were getting soaked. The idea of going home and being warm and dry won out over seeing what the drummers would do next.

Tomorrow night, on the same stage, is the Gospel Train, featuring 1500 gospel singers from around the world. At this moment, I hope that all 1500 of them are praying it doesn't rain.

posted by 125records @ 3:28 AM

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