Mali from Timbuktu to Washington >> Performers

Folklife Festival 2003 > Mali > Performers > Page 3


performers


pg [1] [2] [3]

Ali Farka Touré Group (Niafunké) Ali Farka Touré, electric guitar and vocals Oumar Touré, congas, chorus vocals Ali Konta Souleymane Kane, djembé Hamadoun Bocoum Mamadou Kelly

—The Bluesman of Africa, Ali Farka Touré's highly distinctive style of his homeland of Niafunke blends Malian sounds with American blues reminiscent of bluesmen such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Big Joe Williams. After winning a Grammy for his Talking Timbuktu CD with Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Touré chose to stay in his village and is coming out of retirement for an extremely rare performance at the Festival.

Salif Keita (Bamako) Salif Keita, lead vocals, guitar Djély Moussa Kouyaté, electric guitar Harouna Samaké, camale n'goni Drissa Bagayoko, djembé Mamadou Koné, calabash Adama Kouyaté, tama Souleymane Doumbia, African congas Souleyman Kouyaté, n'goni Aminata Doumbia, background vocals Assitan Diarra, background vocals Sekou Keita, dancer Jean-Marie Avisse, technical crew Isabel Bonvalet, technical crew Timor Cardenas, technical crew Freddy Zerib,technical crew Johnson Mensah, technical crew David Lunardelli, technical crew

—The most famous Malian singer, Salif Keita was a lead musician with the Rail Band and the Ambassadeurs du Motel in the 60's and 70's. Then he went on to international superstardom with his own band. He plays solo guitar and sings as well as performs with his group.

Top

Oumou Sangaré (Wassoulou) Oumou Sangaré, lead vocals Sapa Kouyaté, singer, dancer Zoumana Tereta, sokou (traditional violin) Abdoulaye Fofana, flute Nabintou Diakité, singer, dancer Mouneissa Tandina, drummer Salah Baba, guitar Hamane Touré, bass Ousmane Haidara, Manager Brehima Diabaté, camale n'goni Cheikh Oumar Diabaté, djembé Alama Diakité, yabara (percussion)
—Oumou Sangaré is the leading female star of the Wassoulou sound, which is based on an ancient tradition of hunting rituals mixed with songs about devotion, praise, and harvest played with pentatonic (five-note) melodies. In addition to the flute and violin her sound is accompanied by the sound of the scraping kèrègnè, women play the flé, a calabash strung with cowrie shells, which they spin and throw into the air in time to the music. Sangaré most often sings about love and the importance of freedom of choice in marriage.

Kanaga de Mopti Djéliba Koné, Trumpet Kaniba dit Demba Koné, guitar Issa Koné, guitar Maki Koné, singer Sada Traoré, drummer Sekou dit Tomi Koné, saxophone, balafon Bourima Diabaté, singer Papa Koné, bass guitar Mamadou Traoré, Band leader Sékou Diankoumba, singer
—Kanaga was recently named the National Orchestra of Mali. The group's members are from all over the country and work to re-interpret various musical traditions using Western instruments.

Krin de Birgo Demba Sidibé, Kita, singer, calabash Mooro Sidibé, Kita, djembé Tenemba Diallo, Kita, calabash Bakary Sidibé, Kita, Calabash, camale n'goni
—This music is played for male circumcision as the rainy season approaches. "Krin" is the noise that the gourd ladles make when hitting the calabashes. The Songs are sung by aunts and sisters of those to be circumsized to give them courage. This music originally from the Wassoulou region is normally played with up to 6 to 10 calabashes.

pg [1] [2] [3]

Top