Jazz Articles about Bassekou Kouyate

About Bassekou Kouyate

Instrument: Various

Album Review

Trumpeter Charlie Porter has proved himself to be an inventive composer whose works are simultaneously thought-provoking and mellifluous. His third and perhaps most immediately relevant release, Hindsight, draws inspiration from the events that came to public attention in 2020. Musically, the nine originals are fluid yet complex and are peppered with sounds from other genres such as gospel, African folk and hip hop. The result is a seamless and delightfully unique fusion which delivers its message with intelligence and panache. ...

Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

by Paul Rauch
March 4, 2021

Portland based trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter is back, and following the trend industry wide over the past year, has released a finely crafted collection of pieces attached to a social narrative. Hindsight examines how we act in hindsight dealing with the long term societal struggles of racism, corruption and inequality. While two of the pieces feature the lyrics of Majid Khaliq and Madelaina Piazza, Porter has namaged to weave the emotional uncertainty of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic into bittersweet ...

Album Review

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Ba Power

by James Nadal
May 23, 2015

African music is on an unprecedented upward spiral in terms of popularity and global recognition. Each country within Africa is subdivided into local provinces and territories, each with their own cultural traits and traditions. Mali, of course is no exception and has been in the forefront of this musical revival. Bassekou Kouyaté is a prominent representative of Malian music, due in part to his association and recordings with premier musicians as Ali Farka Touré, and popular rock and world artists, ...

Live Review

Bassekou Kouyate / Tamikrest / Sidi Toure: London, January 26, 2013

by Chris May
January 28, 2013

Bassekou Kouyate / Tamikrest / Sidi ToureBarbicanLondonJanuary 26, 2013Ten days earlier, the vibe at this Malian package show--billed as Sahara Soul--would likely have been jumpy rather than joyful. The northern half of Mali seemed secure in the hands of Islamist invaders, who were intent on destroying the region's indigenous music and culture and poised to move south and take the Malian capital, Bamako.But, on January 26, 2013, the mood onstage at the Barbican ...

African Jazz

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Jama Ko

by Chris May
January 14, 2013

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni BaJama KoOut/Here2013Malian ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate and his band, Ngoni Ba's third album continues the increasingly outward-looking trajectory of its predecessors. The debut, the lovely Segu Blue (Out/Here, 2007), was unadorned roots music. Its follow-up, the more visceral I Speak Fula (Out/Here, 2010), wove amplification into what was still basically an acoustic sound and, on two tracks, featured Vieux Farka Toure, son of Ali Farka Toure, on electric ...