The
Mag Mali Music and Mali K7 SA wishes you a happy new year 2004.
Balla
Tounkara, the Prince of the Boudefo
Balla Tounkara comes
from Boudefo (Kita) and is the nephew of Djélimady
Tounkara who’s in the famous Rail
Band, one of the best guitar players of the continent. Balla
Tounkara is the grandson Batrou
Sékou Kouyaté, one of the best Kora
players of his time, a virtuoso who conquered France, Africa and United
States with this mythical instrument. Balla
Tounkara is from a family of griots.
In West Africa, griots are
the guardians of traditions, musicians for the royal court, historians,
judges, mediatory, journalists. This tradition goes back to the 13th
century and is deeply anchored in his family even if his mother has
never been a singer; his father played the Balafon.
The task of the djeli being very hard in a town deprived of electricity,
phone and transport means, Balla decided to come in Bamako, the economical,
political and administrative capital of Mali, in order to have the
adequate environment to share his worries, messages, councils, passions
and love…after several experiences, he decided to go to meet
other sonorities to improve his art. Then, in 1996, he arrives in
New York (USA) and gives percussion and Kora
formation courses with his uncle.
He won’t stay long in New York because he did not resist the
charm of Boston. There, he becomes the leader of a band named "Groupe
Spirit" that was eager to make its authenticity prevail over
stereotyped labels. Even if he’s fan of Bob Marley, Diana Ross,
John Lee Hooker, and the Beatles and of Tracy Chapman…, his
ambition is to trace his own way in music. Successful experiences
with Salif Keïta,
Jimmy Cliff, and Youssou
N'Dour did not divert his band from their way, a sumptuous
and unbelievable authenticity one can hear in "Be Right",
an album distributed in Mali by Mali k7 and that had a lot of success
all over the world, especially in the United States. In this album,
Balla invites people to work hard, stands against conflicts and denounces
the tares of the African society; ten tracks on sale every where in
Mali.
The purity of the voice and the wonderful Kora play give to the album
the savour of Malian music of the 21st century. Balla perpetuates
the tradition o “djeliya” by treating social and political
themes like AIDS or war in the song "Le Monde est fou".
This track has been published by the company “Putumayo”
on his compilation entitled “Du Congo à Cuba”,
successful symbiosis between Latinos rhythms and African sonorities.
We see that even if he’s far away from his natal land, Balla
is very close to his African roots.
The prince of Kora
speaks about cultural brewing in his songs and makes it concrete in
his actions. His band is the proof as musicians are Spanish (bass),
Israeli (saxophone), Arabic (guitar), American (percussion). He’s
himself polyvalent as he plays doun doun, tamani
and djembé.
The success of "Be Right" has been a great motivation and
an inspiration source for "Yayoroba" that will be put on
sale by Mali k7 during 2004. It’s the natural continuation of
the saga with tracks such as Kuma, Foliba, Baba, Yayoroba, Fabara,
and Fulaya. On this album, Balla pays a vibrant tribute to Amadou
Diallo, the young Guinean man who was assassinated by the police of
New York in 1999. It’s an album which will surely have success
and shows the maturity of the artist who want to build a bridge between
the United States (place where he lives) and Africa (his home land).
He worked with celebrities such as Balla Kouyaté
(arrangement, Balafon…),
Moussa Cissoko (guitar and n’goni),
Yacouba Cissoko (Kora),
Sidi Mohamed Camara, Eric
Doob (drums), Manu Koch, Mark Camioko
(saxophone), Raja Kassis (guitar), Steve
Sidhli (guitar). “The Americans just begin to know
what I’m doing. The band has now a great audience in Boston.
We are invited to all the world music great musical events.”
He said; in any case the acknowledgement attestation delivered by
the town hall of Boston proves it. Balla works hard to deserve this
confidence this is why he’s back home every year to resource
himself. This new album will surely mark the entry of the prince in
the international showbiz.
The staff
An album of high range
Ibrahima Sylla, the director of Syllart production africando has just
finished the recording of an album of high range regrouping the best
of the Mandingo music at the studio Bogolan of Malik7. This album
will be released in the first trimester of 2004 and will enter the
annals of Mandingo music. The great voices of Mali and Guinea invited
to take part in this recording are Bako Dagnon,
Kandia Kouyaté,
Kassé Mady
Diabaté and his brother Lafia Diabaté
(Mali), Sékouba Bambino, Kémo
Condé and Kerfala Kanté
(Guinea). There are also virtuosos such as Djélimady
Tounkara, Mamadou Diabaté,
Baissa Koné, Kémo
Kouyaté and Kaly the king
of the sousou bala. Wait and see!
ATT (Amadou Toumani Touré), president of Mali congratulates
Jean Bittard for his support to the cultural
radiation of the Malian music in the world.
The
new album of Mamani Keïta
"sauvons les enfants" will soon be available. This album
is a masterpiece that rewards the one who spent more than ten years
making chorus for most of our artist.
