Gothic Theatre
Papa Mali
On the Austin musical menu of refreshments, Papa Mali is the bracing rum drink with shots of Caribbean zest and Bayou juju to flavor the mix. A reggae rhythm root comes from his longtime days as one of the Killer Bees, the Capital City’s noble contribution to the national reggae club circuit back in the days when Austin was a major stop on the rock steady tour map. Since then, the dreadlocked Buddha—real name Malcolm Welbourne, but from first glance Papa Mali indeed—has become this city’s Most Versatile Player. He can be sighted at gospel brunches with the Imperial Crown Harmonizers the morning after gigging with, say, Ray Wylie Hubbard, to name but two of his side pursuits. But Papa Mali shines most brightly when he fires up his own range and cooks up an intoxicating stew of world beat, Gulf Coast groove, deep Delta voodoo, blue-eyed riddim’n’blues and Bohemian soul and wit. He leads a jamming band for the brain and the body sure to make his Austin City Limits Music Festival appearance an entrancing and butt-shaking fete.
