Lassy
King Massassy
The advocate of the just causes
Lassy King Massassy more
known with the nickname King is back
with a new album called Niokala So. Niokala So is a splendid album
that will mark the return of the King
of the Malian rap after the desertion of Daffé
and Diarrakè.
The King began rap at the beginning of
the 90’s by creating the band Sofa
with late Tidiane Diakité. They
recorded together one album named "Farafina farafin" which
allowed them to make a tour of 24 concerts in the United States. King
has a vocational training certificate of building drawing and a certificate
in English and Bamanan (national language). He had already taught
during five years in an experimental school in Kati. It’s an
experience that has increased his analysing capacities. We then understand
the pedagogy present in his very engaged compositions.
In 1996, he created another band of rap with
Daffé and Diarakè
called King Da Dia which reigned on the
Malian hip hop movement. This supremacy led them to the “cite
de la musique” and at the “cigale” in Paris on an
invitation Salif Keita.
In 1998, he began a solo career and found himself a new nickname LKM
(Lassy King Massassy). LKM
is at the same time a teacher, a rapper and a comedian; those who
have seen "Sékou Fasa" and "Le retour de Bougouniery"
already know it. Parallel to his solo career, he integrated the theatre
group "l'atelier de Bamako", and made a tour of more than
one hundred representations with the director Georges Bigot who is
an ancient actor of Ariane Mnouchkine.
“Niokala So” (the horse
of wood)
According to the Bambaras’ thoughts, the one who get on the
back of this horse to try to seduce people is wasting his time because
he’s mocking of himself. This philosophy explains the choice
of the title of the first solo album of Lassina Coulibaly/ Lassy
King Massassy (LKM). “Those
who think that the African peoples believe in their lies and demagogical
speeches are wrong” said the king to justify his choice;
a choice that very well represents the engagement of the young rapper.
Niokala So, an auto-produced album with millions of FCFA is much more
a pamphlet dipped into vitriol than a musical work because the engagement
exceeds the rappological revolt. Corruption, demagogy, megalomania,
misery, famine, privatization, religion, delinquency are the menu
of tracks like “Jamana Jô, Duwawu! Religion, Fabara, Yèlèma,
Babayo, Ananà min...”. Nobody is spared. LKM
reminds the youth that a nation can not be built with the motto “laziness
and weakness”. He’s not gentle with the religious leaders
who are preaching in the political arena.
But the descendant of Biton Coulibaly is especially unable to stand
politicians. More than a revolt, "Fabara" strongly condemns
a class who made of Africa the cancer of the world. The youth adores
this engaged speech condemning the “fascist, macho, megalomaniac,
source of discord. You don’t care of us. It’s not the
changing of Congo Kinshasa’s name that will make it a nation
favouring speech and circulation liberty. “
A justified offensive because “in Africa, the governments
are having wonderful times. States of vicious and unfair laws with
unlimited mandate fighting for “Ivoirity” in order to
eliminate the opponents ". Can we expect something else
with “leaders who have come out of the roads of neo-colonialism
and imperialism; People who have no brain and think that any governmental
thing is theirs forever and who sow in peoples the seeds of tribal
and racial hate.”
Niokala So is an opus on which the messenger has invited his wife
Aminata Doumbia (chorus singer of Salif
Keïta), Tata Pound
and Fatoumata Diawara (heroine of the
film "Sya"). But the surprise is the duet with Salif
Keïta in "Anana min" (a remake of the nightingale’s
hymn). LMK did his best to have the maximum
of success. The result is wonderful. He couldn’t have done better
than that to mark his return after three years of absence.
Lassy is not unknown because he’s
one of the forerunners of rap in Mali with the band King
Da Dia. The album of this band was produced by Salif
Keïta and the promotion was also made in Europe by him.
It’s in France that the road of the different elements of the
band divided. “At the end of our tour, they preferred to
stay there. I’ve always thought that my destiny is in my country,
my inspiration comes from there. I want to be a reference for Malian
youth. It won’t be possible for me to know their problems if
I stay in Europe, so I came back home to serve my people and the youth”
he says. He then chose difficulty because France offered him more
opportunities of success than Mali. “I’m proud of
being a Malian, an African. I’m for integration and African
union. This is why I’m proud to see that my country is ready
to leave a part or the totality of its sovereignty for the realisation
of the African union. It’s one of the rare positive actions
of the politicians” he explains.
Despite this strong engagement for the just causes, Lassy is not a
violent fellow. “I’m engaged since childhood. It will
be difficult for someone whose parents are wasting money to stand
on the microphone. It’s not the same case of the one who has
seen almost all kind of misery and is still confronted to revolting
situations. He knows how much people is suffering and knows what they
expect. He’s then the good one to defend them, denounce and
demand” he declared. The only thing he’s afraid of
is to be preaching in a desert. “One day, when I was listening
to my songs with my grand mother, she said to me: “Lassy, you’re
right in your engagement but I’m afraid it won’t change
anything. People will just admire you but no one will act”.
A pertinent analyse coming from an old woman who’s not an intellectual
… I’m afraid she’s right”.
And this first experience gave an idea to Lassy
who is now preparing a one man show as he’s ready to realise
a musical comedy if there is an occasion. Lassy wants to be a comedian
serving the people, the poor, the hopeless, the oppressed, the unemployed…
the ones the system forgot, and his projects are as huge as his ambitions.
The only condition to that is that the pirates let him make a living
on his work. “If the music lovers really want to support
me in my engagement, they must stop buying pirated tapes. Now it’s
very easy to identify legal tapes because they have shining stickers
on the covers”. You don’t help a farmer by encouraging
thieves to steal his harvests. King is
also very interested in the young people who are endangered by of
STI (sexual transmittable infections) and AIDS.
His opinion is that “the information campaign about AIDS
must be constant, until people say: We are fed up with hearing about
it”
Oumou
Sangaré, ambassador of the FAO
One consecration more for the diva of the Wassoulou; Oumou
Sangaré is now the itinerant ambassador of the United Nations
funds for food (FAO). She received her crown on last October 16th
in Rome (Italy) during the world food day. She also took part in the
animation of “Téléfood”, a manifestation
that is broadcasted in direct on several TV channel thorough the world
and allows the United Nations funds for food to collect funds to finance
its struggle against world hunger. This year, the new ambassador shared
the stage with other mega stars such as Césaria
Evora, Youssou N’Dour, Mory
Kanté… she will from now on add her voice, her talent
and her know-how to the others in order to help the FAO to struggle
properly 
against
this humiliating and inhuman scourge.
The
young Gawlo in studio
After his hit “Mali 2002”, Alou
Sam is preparing to come back on stage. Since a few days, the
Gawlo of the Malian music is at the studio
Bogolan to record his fourth album which promises to be more interesting
than the three former ones. In any case, it’s a very determined
and very inspired Alou Sam that we see every day at the studio
Bogolan of Mali K7; it’s the proof of his fidelity to a
house that was a springboard for his artistic blossoming.
