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Ogle Bordello | Tommy T would love to have a woman’s piercing stare.

DETAILS

Gogol Bordello
Edmonton Event Centre
Wednesday, October 7 - Wednesday, October 7

More in: Live Music

GOGOL BORDELLO
Edmonton Event Centre (WEM). Wed, Oct 7 (8pm). Tickets: $27.50, available through Ticketmaster (451-8000/ticketmaster.com).

Tommy T (né Thomas Gobena) is an Ethiopian rock star. I have never written that sentence before today. Ethiopian rock star: cross that one off the list.

Not only is Tommy T a rock star, he, along with his bandmates in Gogol Bordello, is creating one of the first legitimate multicultural rock bands. Not some thrown-together attempt at pandering to the world’s musical tastes, but honest-to-God global music.

“There are no limitations to the music,” Tommy says. “Gogol Bordello is made out of nine people from different countries, so when the music comes to us it goes through nine people’s musical influences. Gogol’s music is usually written by Eugene [Hutz], the lead singer, and by the time it comes to us, we have my own interpretations and influences. People that love our music are people that are open-minded. It’s about the music and when it’s done really well it lands in a place where people that are open-minded can find it.”

But Tommy isn’t just a one-trick pony. Wanting to bring some positive attention to his Ethiopian homeland, Tommy T has released an album of his own, The Prester John Sessions.

“Basically it’s a different interpretation of Ethiopian music through my influences that go from reggae to dub to jazz to funk,” says Tommy. “My music is more instrumental than lyrical, and the lyrics aren’t done in English so people may not understand it, but the whole idea of it is ‘This is where I’m from and this is what I’m about.’ The album is to educate what Ethiopia is all about because people haven’t heard a lot of positive things about Ethiopia here in the western world.”

I then warned Tommy that I had some weird questions to ask him. But, having seen Gogol’s live show, I knew they needed to be silly in order to get the responses I was looking for.

SEE Magazine: If you were to rename Gogol Bordello, what would you call the band?
Tommy T: Fire.
SEE: Would you rather be able to change the past or see the future?
Tommy: That question isn’t as goofy as you think it is.
SEE: Thank you.
Tommy: If you change the past, you affect the present, and if you can see the future, then there is really no fun in living ... so ... I guess I’d rather not do both.
SEE: If you could  have one part of female anatomy as your own, what would it be?
Tommy: Whoa ... hold on a sec.
SEE: Don’t get yourself into trouble now.
Tommy: Eyes.
SEE: Why?
Tommy: I don’t know the English word, but they look like they are looking right through you.
SEE: That is exactly the right English. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen at one of your shows?
Tommy: This woman standing in front of me making crazy faces all night.
SEE: Maybe she was looking through you?
Tommy: No, I’m talking faces ... completely crazy faces.
SEE: Weird.
Tommy: I don’t understand why.