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EthnoBass
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| (Super) Rail Band: | A strange bird of a Malian
band founded in 1970 by the ngoni player Tidiane Kone. To be more accurate,
he started it in 69 under the name "Rail Band du Buffet Hôtel de
la Gare". The Malian Railroads decided to sponsor a big band to protect
and develop Malian music traditions. The main idea was: the first thing
a traveler would do after arriving, is to go to the Refreshments room,
where Rail Band or Super Rail Band where playing real Manding music.
The instruments where state property and the musicians played in Railroad
uniforms.
This was the first start for four very important musicians of Mali: Salif Keita, Mory Kante, Djelimady Tounkara , Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyaté, Oumou Sangare and Kante Manfila. The Rail Band are regarded as pivotal to modern Mali music. Their importance in music simply can't be overestimated! Keita and Mamfila left the Rail Band to start Les Ambassadeurs, which became kind of rival band. This rivalry culminated in a concert, read the story at this Les Ambassadeurs link. |
| Rail
Band International:
Djelimada Tounkara Mory Kante |
A parallel band to the Malian based Super Rail Band. Founded by guitarist Jalimada Tounkara and Mory Kante, mainly because they didn't get a raise in the Super Rail Band. |
| Rakotozafy: | A legendary marovany player, called the Robert Johnson of Madagascar. He was considered to be the best at his instrument. |
| Rossy (Rahasimanana): | Paul Bert Rahasimanana aka Rossy are a multi-instrumentalist from Madagascar. He set up a group named Rossy in 80s, touring Europe with a mix of Malagasy music and World music. |
Oumou
Sangare:
 |
Singer rooted in the Wassoulou region in Mali.
She is born in Bamakoin 1968, the capitol, but her family are from Wassoulou.
She is one of the leading charracters in a new "Wassoulou movement". It means, non griots, performing music. In fact Oumou Sangare was the one starting this exploding prosess, with her debut album Moussolou (Women) recorded in Abiilan 1989 sold 200.000 copies. Her music is based in Malian tradition, but she's not afraid to introduce new elements. And she is no praise singer. Oumou campaigns women's right's, and other social issues, in her lyrics.Womens rights, to choose their own partner, and against polygami are her two main issues. |
| Senge: | Senge is short for Sengemana which means pride. The people of the Androy
region in southern Madagascar has
for ages been misunderstood. They have been accused of beeing dishonest,
cruel and aggressive.
The band Senge is a trio of people feed up with this, who wants to stand up for themselves and their cultural heritage. They have released a CD, "Arembelo", on the Cobalt label. Have a look at:
EthnoBass.org are working at a Senge Homepage, a part of our Hosting project. |
| Shina Adwale and the Superstar International: | Look Segun Adewale. |
| Simentera: | A "cultural group" from Cape Verde
playing traditional music. The band was formed in 1992.
The leader describes their project: it "mirrors the music of our islands in it's various rhythms and origins, calling up old folk-songs with boht African and European roots. Through the different Cape Verdean music types, one is telling the history of Cape Verde's identity formation itself". Untill Simentera started most music, also traditional, was perfomed electric. Cesoria Evora is one example of an artist that has began to use accoustic instruments after Simentera released their first albums. |
| Jonah Sitwhole: | Zimbabwean guitar player 1954-1997.
Started playing at the age 12, and joined soon his brothers band. Started
his first band in 1970, playing Congo rumba, and pop and soul music.
Sitwhole was a important figure in the modern Mbira music style chimurenga. He was the one who adapted the old Mbira melodies to the guitar. In 1974 he met Thomas Mapfumo, and four years later they set up Blacks Unlimited together. This was a mix of Sitwholes old band, The Storm, and Mapfumos, Acid Band. The collaboration between Mapfumo and Sitwhole looks like a turbulent one. Sitwhole quitted and restarted in the band several times. |
| Ballake Sissoko: | Son of the great Kora player late Jelimadi Sissoko. Has lived next door to his cousin Toumani Diabate all his life. These two virtuosos have been collaborating at many recordings and other occasions. Check out "New Ancient strings", a follow up for their fathers "Ancient strings", both are excellent kora recordings. |
| Solo Miral: | A quintet of brothers from from Madagascar. They call their music vakojazzana, a mix of jazz and atraditional music style named vakodrazana. The members of this band often play in other lineups, also abroad. The leader, Haja are considered to be one of the greatest "marovany" style guitarists at the island. |
| Super Diamono:
Omar Pene Adam Faye Aziz Sech Ismael Lô |
The Senegalesian band Super Diamono was formed by Omar Pene, singer and composer, in 1975. The Weather Reaport inspired keaboard from Adama Faye, and mbalax rhytms from Aziz Seck where the recepy this cool, bluesy band. Singer-songwriter Ismael Lô, with hes down to earht lyrics where another important factor to their sucsess. |
| Super Rail Band: | Look Rail Band |
| Foday Musa
Suso:
Mandingo Griot Society |
Kora master from Gambia. Left Africa for New Yourk in the 70s. Former of Mandingo Griot Society, one of the first kora fusion bands with the late jazz trumpet player Don Cherry. Have also worked with Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet. |
| Tarika
Sammy:
Tarika Hanitra Rasoanaivo Noro Raharimalala |
Folk revival band from Madagascar.
Started as Tarika Sammy, fronted with two women. Splitted up in Tarika
Sammy and Tarika. The two women Hanitra Rasoanaivo and Noro Raharimalala,
the core in the first band, are members of the new Tarika.
Tarika mixes traditional styles and instruments from different parts of the island into a more modern context. Hanitra Rasoanaivo are the main writer in the band, and her lyrics are frespoken about political subjects. THe band are a major sucsess touring Europe and North America. |
| Tartit: | Authentic music and dance band of the Tuareg people. A nomadic people living in the Central and Southern Sahara area. |
| Djelimady Tounkara: | The first part of Djelimady Tounkaras first name refers to his ethnic
status as a griot. Jeli or djeli
is the french word for griot. The jelis or griots are the storytellers
and musicians in musicians in the old Mande culture in West Africa. His
last name can be traced back to King Tounkara.
Anyway, Djelimady has been around for some time. And he sure is an important
guitarist. But for some reasons he has been in the shadows of Ali Farka
Toure.
After a while he joined Orchestre National. After a while he joined the legendary Rail Band. Where he became the star after Salif Keita left them. The importance of Rail Band can't be overestimated. Djelimady has also had a "nice" solo career. He was just a visa approval
from being a part of the Buena Vista Social Club recording. Now at last
in 2002 it seems he getting the recognition he deserves. He won the Africa
class of BBC World Music Award. And his 2001 solo album Sigui, is
receiving very good reviews.
Djelimady Tounkara is the main character in, In griots Time, an American guitarist in Mali. a book by Banning Eyre. Read an excerpt here. |
Ali Farka Toure:
Ali Farka Toure at "Verden I Norden" festival 2001 |
Born in 1939 in Northern Mali. One
of West Africa's finest and most famous artists. Being of noble birth Toure
should not have become a musician. For some reason he learned to play the
gurkel,
a single string guitar when he was 10 years old. He also picked up the
n'jarka,
a single string fiddle. A few years later, he learned the western guitar,
his main instrument today. I late 60's Toure was introduced to so-called
Afro-American music as Otis Redding, Ray Charles and John
Lee Hooker. This convinced him that the Western blues was rooted in
West African (Malian) music. He plays guitar with a highly distinctive
style that has earned him the title "Blues man of Africa". Grammy award
for the album Talking Timbuktu,
1994 with Ry
Cooder. His musical roots are in the cultures of Tuareg
and Songhai. He attributes his
playing to his ancestors "it was the spirit who gave me the gift".
These days Toure is dedicated to a completely different art, the art of farming. He has bought a farm and spends most of his time withdrawn there. EthnoBass has exclusively pictures from (as far as we know) his latest public performance. Linked in left column. More info at: http://www.concertedefforts.com/ali.htm |
| Toure Kunda:
Amadou Toure Ousmane Toure |
A Paris based band, with roots in Senegal,
ahead of their time. Before the World music boom they had a major sucsess
in Paris in the 80s.
Three Toure brothers with Amadou as the leader, set up this band, first as a fusion band, then as a mandinka and mbalax-inspired project, with elements from high-life, reggae, soul and salsa. Amadou, singer and bandleader died, and his brother, Ousmane stepped in as the new singer. Their live album Paris Ziguinchor Live sold to gold, and they are touring Europe and US. |
| Boubakar Traore: | Mali guitarist and singer, with a rich melancholic voice. A star at the Mali radio, lives today in the hills of Bamako. In the evenings he takes out his guitar and sings about the world that surrounds him. (Source: cover notes from the album African Blues). |
| Lobi Traore: | Malian guitar player and singer. Born in Bakaridianna, on the bank of Niger in 1961. Both his parents was singers in the "Komo", a secret society. "When you join the Komo, you never leave" they states. Lobi is a Komo, but he never speaks about it. Joined a folk group at the age of 16 in Ségou as a bambara singer. He picked up the guitar a few years later. When Lobi started his solo career, early in the nineties, he played at weddings and in bars. People soon discovered and appreciated his "bambara blues". He has toured a lot in Europe, Canada and Africa.Born in 1973 in the Beledougou region of Mali. |
Rokia Traore: |
Singer, composer and textwriter with a crystal voice.
She is the first artist combine the instruments Balaba balafon from her home region and the N'goni from the center of Mali. She's not a griot, but she uses textual and musical elements from the griot traditions. Her mentor is Ali Farka Toure, this is easy to hear. Her music is more ballad like and laid back than the wassaoulou style vocalists like i.e. Oumou Sangare. |
