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Bassekou Kouyate
Bassekou Kouyate has now become the ambassador of the ngoni. He has brought this ancient instrument back to where it used to be: to the center of Malian music. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba are now rocking the stages from Bamako to London. Their sucess has sparked off a new interest for this traditional instrument in Mali. Today not a week passes in Bamako without Bassekou being approached by young musicians who want to start a ngoni band.
The latest album entitled “I Speak Fula” expresses the spirit of openness and tolerance. The music of the griots has always been about building bridges between people. Mali itself is a very multi-ethnic country. “I Speak Fula’ is a playful song about the relationship between the Bamana and the Fula.
Bassekou Kouyate is Bamana but it is normal for him to play Fula music. The song is played in a local style called Koreduga. If Malians hear a Koreduga song that means it is time to let their hair down, dance and enjoy. It is a song for everyone and you do not have to speak Fula to join the party. For Bassekou it has been a long journey that started out in Garana, a small village on the Niger River where he grew up, then took him to the town of Segu, capital of the region, and on to Mali’s capital Bamako. And now it is taking him and his music around the world.
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Charlie Porter: Hindsight
by Hrayr Attarian
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. ...
read moreCharlie Porter: Hindsight
by Paul Rauch
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 ...
read moreBassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Ba Power
by James Nadal
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, ...
read moreBassekou Kouyate / Tamikrest / Sidi Toure: London, January 26, 2013
by Chris May
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 ...
read moreBassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Jama Ko
by Chris May
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 ...
read moreBassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba: New Album, 2010 Tour w/ Bela
Source:
JamBase
BASSEKOU KOUYATE AND NGONI BA SET TO RELEASE SPEAK FULA, EMBARK ON EXTENSIVE 2010 U.S. TOUR
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba are releasing their second album, I Speak Fula, through iTunes on December 1, and then physically through Sub Pop on February 2, 2010. February 2 also marks the beginning of a lengthy, coast-to-coast U.S. tour that will see Bela Fleck supporting through mid-March.
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba Tour Dates Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba 02/02, Tue: ...
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Sub Pop Announces Next Ambiance, Bassekou Kouyate
Source:
rock paper scissors, inc.
SUB POP RECORDS AND HOST OF KEXP'S THE BEST AMBIANCE RADIO SHOW TEAM UP TO CREATE NEW WORLD MUSIC IMPRINT: NEXT AMBIANCE
Next Ambiance's Debut Album, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba's I Speak Fula, Scheduled for Digital Release in North America on December 1st, 2009
SEATTLE, WA -- Sub Pop Records and KEXP radio host Jon Kertzer have come together to form Next Ambiance, a world music imprint. Malian band Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba's I Speak Fula will be ...
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Bassekou Kouyate
Instrument: Various
Born: August 7, 1966
Management: International Music Network
