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Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Ba Power
ByPresently heralded as Mali's musical superstar, on Ba Power , Kouyaté takes the traditional instrument the ngoni into afro-rock territory, complete with distortion and wah-wah pedals, and there is no looking back. This is very much a family affair as he brought several of his sons into the ensemble, and his wife Amy Sacko handles the lead vocals. Sacko has an impressive resume in her own right, with outstanding recordings with Leni Stern, among others.
It is almost impossible to separate Malian music from political, social, and religious themes or situations, as this is the music of griots, or messengers of the people. Kouyaté has the innate ability to draw from deep ancestral wells for inspiration, as well as contemporary struggles and strife for motivation. Sacko as singer takes on a pivotal role, as she delivers the message convincingly and with abundant elegance.
Ba Power is a striking new direction not only for Kouyaté, but for Malian music as well. With his exposure to a global audience and to rock, jazz and blues musicians, he has plugged in and turned it up. This is no longer primitive tribal music, the message of the griots might be timeless, but the messenger is very much a modern musician on a relentless mission to get this music heard.
Track Listing
Siran Fen; Musow Fanga; Abé Sumaya; Ayé Sira Bla; Borongoli ma Kununban; Waati; Fama Magni; Te Duniya Laban; Bassekouni.
Personnel
Bassekou Kouyate
variousBassekoue Kouyaté: lead ngoni; Amy Sack: lead vocals; Abou Sissoko: medium ngoni; Mamadou Kouyaté: bass ngoni, backing vocals; Moctar Kouyaté: calabash; Mahamadou tounkara: yabara, tamani, tmaba; Bina Diabaté: medium ngoni ba; Moustafa Kouyate: medium ngoni.
Album information
Title: Ba Power | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Glitterbeat
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About Bassekou Kouyate
Instrument: Various
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