Malian Music

Sand · May-16th-2003, 05:33 PM

What if Mali is one of the most important melting pot of rhythmic music in the world - wouldn't you want to know more?
Well, personally I happen to enjoy Habib Koité (who Ron T made me aware of) and wanted to find out more about where he came from. A couple of other serendipitous events turned my attention towards Mali, and suddenly I found myself reading excerpts from Banning Eyre's book "In Griot Time". It certainly looks like a find.
Currently listening to Wanita by Rokia Traoré and Biriko by Kandia Kouyate (opens with Djelimady Tounkara's guitar)

Squaredancecalling Steve · May-16th-2003, 05:44 PM

Ali Farka Toure (with Ry Cooder) -- Talking Timbuktu

shrugs · May-16th-2003, 05:47 PM

watch out. Uli may get you for not posting on jazz.

Sand · May-16th-2003, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shrugs
watch out. Uli may get you for not posting on jazz.

Uli will understand that this thread belongs here - along with the Brazilian Music thread - or?

Squaredancecalling Steve · May-16th-2003, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shrugs
watch out. Uli may get you for not posting on jazz.

Jazz Police

Can you tell me why the bells are ringing?
Nothing's happened in a million years
I've been sitting here since Wednesday morning
Wednesday morning can't believe my ears

Jazz police are looking through my folders
Jazz police are talking to my niece
Jazz police have got their final orders
Jazzer, drop your axe, it's Jazz police!

Jesus taken serious by the many
Jesus taken joyous by a few
Jazz police are paid by J. Paul Getty
Jazzers paid by J. Paul Getty II

Jazz police I hear you calling
Jazz police I feel so blue
Jazz police I think I'm falling,
I'm falling for you

Wild as any freedom loving racist
I applaud the actions of the chief
Tell me now oh beautiful and spacious
Am I in trouble with the Jazz police?

Jazz police are looking through my folders ...

They will never understand our culture
They'll never understand the Jazz police
Jazz police are working for my mother
Blood is thicker margarine than grease

Let me be somebody I admire
Let me be that muscle down the street
Stick another turtle on the fire
Guys like me are mad for turtle meat

Jazz police I hear you calling
Jazz police I feel so blue
Jazz police I think I'm falling,
I'm falling for you

-- Leonard Cohen

Pete C · May-16th-2003, 05:54 PM

I'm just wild about Mali. I've been lucky enough to see most of the greatest artists in concert, most of them several times: Habib Koite, Ali Farka Toure, Salif Keita, Rokia Traore, Boubacar Traore, The Super Rail Band, and Oumou Sangare. I haven't had the opportunity to see Kandia Kouyate, but she has such a stunning voice. Mali will be one of the features of this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival, late June/early July in D.C. And I was pleased to discover that Salif Keita will be at the African festival in my neighborhood late July (along with Oliver Mtukudzi and others). The Banning Eyre book is interesting. Banning jammed with the Rail Band at Central Park last year (the Rail Band's Djelimady Tounkara was his mentor), and I noticed him in the Salif Keita audience at Irving Plaza.

Boubacar Traore is the grandfather of the "bluesy" Malian style, and his albums on Indigo are a delight. I caught him recently in NY. I was supposed to see him in a duo with Bill Frisell in SF in 2001, but he canceled due to 9/11. Macire has Koite's Bamada as the backup band, and Sa Golo is just "Kar Kar" on voice & guitar with a calabash player.

Pete C · May-16th-2003, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
Ali Farka Toure (with Ry Cooder) -- Talking Timbuktu

Not his best IMO. IMO, Cooder collaborations are rarely an artist's best. I'd recommend Niafunke or The Source before Talking Timbuktu.

bluenoter · May-16th-2003, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Mali will be one of the features of this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival, late June/early July in D.C.

Pete, do you think you'll make it? I remember that you had a conflict or a potential conflict.

Ron Thorne · May-16th-2003, 08:51 PM

I must tip my hat heartily to my friend, Pete Cherches, for turning me on to Habib Koité. I wasn't hip to him, and Pete sent me an e-mail when he saw that Anchorage was on Habib's concert tour schedule. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed his concert, and have added his CDs to our collection. Since I'm a drummer/percussionist, I could barely stay seated most of the evening. Habib Koité and Bamada were totally infectious. Percussionist Mahamadou Kone was simply one of the finest drummers I've ever heard in any genre.

I have a major jones for one of these handmade (lingue and dugura hardwoods) djembes.

Habib was my introduction to Mali/griot expression, and I'm very enthused about pursuing other Malian artists, and very appreciative of your suggestion, Pete.

Pete C · May-16th-2003, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluenoter

Pete, do you think you'll make it? I remember that you had a conflict or a potential conflict.

I think the only potential conflict might have been Montreal, but I'm pretty sure I'll be coming to D.C. I have a couple of free hotel nights booked on the 27th & 28th, and If I remain unemployed I may book an extra night. At the very least I'll be there all day on Saturday the 28th, so I hope we can hook up.

bluenoter · May-17th-2003, 12:25 AM

Quote:

I have a couple of free hotel nights booked on the 27th & 28th, and If I remain unemployed I may book an extra night. At the very least I'll be there all day on Saturday the 28th, so I hope we can hook up.

Great! Sure!

Gary Sisco · May-17th-2003, 09:22 AM

I haven't heard any Malian music yet that I didn't like or love. It might be one of the very few places where I could live with the local music fare and be happy without my record collection. Great stuff.

Another great Toure CD is "Radio Mali."

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 10:56 AM

The Smithsonian doesn't have a performer list yet, but here's some preliminary info:

"Mali: From Timbuktu to Washington, D.C.

Mali has been known since ancient times as the location of the Mali Empire and the fabled city of learning, Timbuktu. Trade in gold and salt made Timbuktu a center of the trans-Saharan trade. From the 12th century, scholars from throughout West Africa gathered at the Sankoré mosque to study the Koran, literature, history, and law. Timbuktu and many of the other great cities of landlocked Mali are along the Niger River, a thoroughfare for commerce and travelers. Festival visitors will learn of the Empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, celebrated in the songs of griots (oral historians). They will see examples of sudanic adobe architecture under construction, hear music and learn the dances of the Dogon, Bambara, Fulani, and Bozo peoples, see the jewelry and tents of the nomadic Touareg people, taste the cuisines of Mali, and learn how mudcloth is made from hand-spun and hand-woven cotton. In the bicentennial year of the Louisiana Purchase, visitors also will learn how Malians contributed to the culture and development of the United States."

The other areas the festival will focus on this year are Scotland & Appalachia.

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:40 AM

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:45 AM

Salif Keita

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:48 AM

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:49 AM

Kandia Kouyate

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:50 AM

Djelimady Tounkara

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:52 AM

Habib Koite

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:54 AM

Oumou Sangare

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:55 AM

Amadou et Mariam

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 01:20 PM

Not to mention Mama Sissoko. If you're an EMusic subscriber, check out his 2 albums there.

Sand · May-17th-2003, 05:19 PM

There's a 45 minute Real Audio - or Media Player - interview with Rokia Traoré where she answers in French (with translations) and play her music.
NPR offer songs by

Rokia and Toure

Ron Thorne · May-17th-2003, 05:50 PM

What a stunning photograph of Amadou et Mariam (post #21). Their life story would likely fill a documentary to overflowing. Do you know if one has been made, Pete?

"The amusing paradox carried by the songs of this blind couple from Mali is that they also have the power to return sight to those who think they can already see." - from the liner notes Tje Ni Moussou

bluenoter · May-17th-2003, 06:16 PM

All of the photos are stunning. Thanks, Pete.

But I've never knowingly heard any of those artists, so I hope that there won't be a quiz.

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluenoter
All of the photos are stunning. Thanks, Pete.

Habib Koite's looks are especially striking, so here are some more:

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 10:20 PM

Oumou Sangare ain't so bad either.

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ron Thorne
What a stunning photograph of Amadou et Mariam (post #21). Their life story would likely fill a documentary to overflowing. Do you know if one has been made, Pete?

Not that I know of, Ron. So you've picked up a bunch of Malian CDs after seeing Habib?

There are recent documentaries on Boubacar Traore (Je Chanterai Pour Toi) and Ali Farka Toure (Springing From The Roots), and apparently BBC did a Keita documentary a while back. Alas, I've seen none of them. I missed the Toure film when it was shown on the Ovation network. I hope they play it again.

Pete C · May-17th-2003, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluenoter
But I've never knowingly heard any of those artists, so I hope that there won't be a quiz.

1. Ali Farka Toure's farm is in what village?

2. Salif Keita claims to be descended from what legendary royal personage?

3. In what language does Oumou Sangare sing primarily?

You have until Monday at 3 PM.

bluenoter · May-18th-2003, 12:14 AM

"1. Ali Farka Toure's farm is in what village?"

Niafunke

"2. Salif Keita claims to be descended from what legendary royal personage?"

Sundiata Keita, the warrior king who founded the Malian empire in the 13th century

"3. In what language does Oumou Sangare sing primarily?"

Bambara

"You have until Monday at 3 PM."

[Yawn.]