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Djélimady Tounkara is the "guitar hero" of modern Malian music. Born in Kita into a family of griots and musicians, by the mid-70's he had already forged himself a unique, inimitable style.
Using tradition as his inspiration, he has modernized and adapted to the guitar the kora and ngoni - instruments that have for centuries accompanied the great Mandigue eras. Combining Arab-Andalusian and Cuban influences with a music anchored in a rural area of great cultural richness, he plays with power, phrasing, swing and a sense of improvisation that have made him one of the greatest guitarists of the African continent and far beyond.
Photograph: Benoît Peverelli
Co-founder, leader and soloist of Bamako's Super Rail Band, a mythical name at the origin of Mandigue electric music, this debonair giant has now signed his first album under his own banner. He was the one who chose the "unplugged" acoustic option and penned all the compositions and arrangements. He's backed up by exceptional musicians and wonderful singers: Samba Sissoko, currently the "lead vocal" of the Super Rail Band with his bluesy soul timbre, and Lafia Diabaté, one of the top female Malian chorus-singers from Paris, and perhaps one of the most original female voices in all Mali.
Alternating between instrumental pieces and original sounds, this inspired record was produced by Christian Mousset and Philippe Teissier du Cros at the Amiens House of Culture's Studio Gil Evans. The recording took place in a cool, relaxed atmosphere and pays homage to an exceptional culture and artist.
The deep lyricism, the unique, glimmering colors of the modern and traditional instruments, the strange beauty and subtle blending of the voices, and the rich melodies and harmonies all confer on this music both a unique and universal edge.
Go to :
Super Rail Band de Bamako ; Boubacar Traore ; Rokia Traore ; Kamale N'goni ; Ballaké Sissoko.
Contacts
Agent
Country: France
Name: Marabi/Christian Mousset
Tel: 0545619320
Fax: 0545618779
E-mail: marabi@wanadoo.fr
Adress: Pépinière Tremplin Sud
1, Bd Jean Moulin
16023 Angoulême
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