Drums
for Africa
On the initiative of the United Nations program for development, the
African artists Habib Koité,
Tiken Jah Fakoly, Youssou
N’Dour, Baba Maal, Coumba
Gawlo, and PBS… met in Dakar
on 28th, 29th, and 30th of July 2003. They have been invited to involve
more in the development of the continent. An inventory has been made
of 8 points concerning the development and each of them should be
the subject of a musical composition. Except the fact that each country
must present a song, our stars will beat the drum together for Africa.
Salif Keïta who was coming back from Europe where he gave a few
concert couldn’t take part in the event.
The Malian delegation was ruled over at the meeting by Cheick Oumar
Sissoko the minister of culture.
Deserved
holidays
The son of the Khasso, one of our best itinerant ambassadors
Habib Koité will flight tonight with his family to Belgium
and France. “We work a lot, we have scarcely time to take
care of our family, and this is why we decided to stop a little to
rest and spend time with our wives and children” said Habib
Koité. In Belgium, they will be the guest of Michel De Bock
(Producer and Manager of Habib) for a week. Then the family will join
the south of France (Cap d'Adge), a very coveted swimming station
by tourists. They will spend two weeks there before going back to
Paris where they’ll spend their last week shopping. So, enjoy
your stay!
Sékou
Kouyaté
Author, composer, Sékou
Kouyaté is from Koulikoro, second administrative region
of Mali. Koulikoro is a legendary and historical city because it is
said in the legend that Soumangorou Kanté, the king of Sosso
disappeared in the cave of Koulikoro. The capital of the Méguetan
is situated at 60 km of Bamako. In Koulikoro, the griots still respect
the tradition by transmitting orally the outstanding events of Mali’s
history to the young generation. Koulikoro is a cultural town where
flows the Djoliba (river Niger) and an intermediary with the region
of the north of Mali because the river is navigable from Koulikoro.
Sékou is from a griot
family (singer, teller, instrumentalist, genealogy teller). He climbed
all the steps up to consecration. The success gives appetite and the
child of the Méguetan doesn’t escape the rule. The ambition
that animates him pushes him to surpass himself to always please his
numerous fans.
His carrier began in a popular animating formation "appolo"
of Koulikoroba in 1974. Because of the success of his band, Sékou
is enrolled a few years later in the regional band of his town: the
Mega star. His passage in this band will not last long because the
year after, the department of culture in Mali engaged him for the
orchestra Sandiya in Bamako. Since then, nothing could have stopped
the ascension of this singular artist.
In 1978,
the orchestra of Bamako “the Bama Saba" (three crocodile)
appeal to him to revive the dying band.
Virtuoso of the n’goni,
great song writer, Sékou Kouyaté met Djelimady
Tounkara, excellent guitar player and leader of the mythical orchestra
the “Rail Band”
of Salif Keïta
and Mory Kanté. Together they
formed the Mandingo trio in 1981.
From success to success, he joins the Rail
Band when Salif Kéita
leaves for the Ambassadors of the Motel
then after for the international ambassador Mory
Kanté (Ivory Coast), Magan Ganès
and Tidiane koné (Benin),
Cheick Tidiane Seck (France).
Sékou
Kouyaté is always in search of perfection and had no difficulty
for that because he’s able to give a wonderful dimension to
a simple popular melody.
Simple, intelligent and courageous, he undertakes a solo carrier.
His band composed of five persons Djénèba
Seck, Awa Damba, Madou
Koné and Diawoye Diarra
has a great success with the song "Diagnèba" on Malian
TV and his fame spreads beyond the frontiers.
At the
beginning of the 90s, the griot went to Paris with the only ambition
to give to his music an international dimension without loosing his
soul. In Paris, to make him remarked, he recorded a second version
of "Diagnèba". It had a great success and a few years
later, he recorded a new album on which one can find the hit “Koulikoro”.
A real success!
From
his meeting with Syllart production will come out his first real album.
A wonderful work arranged by Jean Philip Rykiel. “When Ibrahim
Sylla decides to produce, he doesn’t count the money invested
in the production. All is important to him is the result, it means
the satisfaction of the artist and of the music lovers; this is why
artist prefer to work with him” reckon the child of Koulikoroba.
In 200,
he arranges the album "Djourou" of Djénèba
Seck. When Sylla proposed me to arrange the album of Djénèba
Seck, nobody trusted in my qualities of arranger, only Sylla had
guessed my talent. The result is here. Very good because by the same
way he recorded a duet with Djénèba
Seck: "Sékou ni Djénèba" ("Sékou
and Djénèba").
This
album "Fassan Diarabi" reveals the state of mind of our
artist. Defender of our traditional values, his music even if turned
toward modernity does not loose it soul. "Fassan Diarabi"
is a panorama of the Bamanan culture. Sékou sings the daily
life of compatriots, against depravation of values, love which is
essential to peace, union which is the only way to succeed. Produced
by Syllart production, "Fassan Diarabi" is an acoustic album
of ten tracks on which the emotive voice of Sékou leads us
in the secret Bamanan circle.
