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Bokante: History
ByLeague's spin-off group Bokanté improvises little and has vocals front and centre. The connection with jazz is more tenuous. Bokante could be called a "world music" group if accusations of cultural appropriation had not made the expression borderline pejorative in 2023. So let us just say that Bokante's vibe chimes loudly with the voodoo-drenched deep funk of New Orleans' late great Night Tripper, Dr John, and with the pan-cultural hoe-downs of ex-Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant's new-millennial bands, which have embraced pretty much everything from heavy metal to Middle Eastern maqam.
Bokante's lineup, which includes League and three other members of Snarky Puppy, is drawn from four continents and five countries: Guadeloupe, the US, Japan, Ghana and Sweden. Details of the nine, mostly multi-instrumentalists on History, the group's third album, can be found below, along with the truckload of percussion and fretted instruments the musicians play between them.
The publicity material accompanying History tells us that the album celebrates black history, global unity, the futility of war, identity, decolonisation and alternative histories, although the Guadeloupean Creole in which Malika Tirolien sings will preclude most listeners getting the details. Bottom line: One world under a groove.
Track Listing
Bliss; Adjoni; Pa Domi; Ilimine; Fle A Memwa; Ta Voix; Tande; Mikwob; History.
Personnel
Michael League
bassMalika Tirolien
piano and vocalsWeedie Braimah
percussionKeita Ogawa
percussionJamey Haddad
percussionAndrea Ferrari
clarinetChris McQueen
guitarBob Lanzetti
guitarRoosevelt Collier
guitar, slideAdditional Instrumentation
Malika Tirolien: vocals; Weedie Braimah: djembe, congas; Keita Ogawa: congas, dohola, cymbal, chains, claps, bendir, bells, darbuka, surdo, caixa, riq, krakeb, kanjira, timbau, bomb legüero; Jamey Haddad Kuwaiti: tar, ocean drum, finger cymbal, chains, bells, claps, kanjira, cowbell, shekere, palm brushes, vocal percussion, bendir, darbuka, metal pots, anklung; André Ferrari: bombo legüero, frame drum, bells, grouse pipe, bass drum; Michael League: guimbre, electric oud, electric bass, vocals, claps, ngoni, krakeb; Chris McQueen: electric and acoustic guitars; Bob Lanzetti: electric and acoustic guitars, nylon string guitar; Roosevelt Collier: lap steel guitar.
Album information
Title: History | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Real World Records
Comments
About Bokanté
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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