Wednesday 7 September 2016

Two Kantés from Mali & Guinee

In between preparing new posts found about two interesting releases by Kantés issued in my summerbreak.

Nakany Kanté

The first one from Guinee (and Spain): Nakany Kanté with Naka (2016).
Since 2009 she's living in Barcelona, and this seems to be her 2nd album already (english bio) after her debut EP.
Live performance of the song "Djanfa" included in the new album "Naka."

More to listen and watch:

Vieux Kanté

The second one from Mali: Vieux Kanté with The Young Man's Harp (2016).
Vieux Kanté, real name Noumoussa Soumaoro, born in 1974 in the Sikasso region in south-west Mali and blind from childhood, mastered to play the kamalé ngoni aka. young man's harp. He developed his instrument from the original 6 to his 12 strings and, as he stated himself, could even play notes although they were not on his instrument "by doing those himself, using his own head".

Vieux Kanté solo on n'goni - LOVE THIS ONE!! where's this from?? is there more??

He was he was considered one of the most dynamic and accomplished solo players in Mali, leading his own band and had recorded a cassette (K7). Unfortunately after a sudden illness Vieux Kanté died unexpectedly in 2005, only 31 years of age. The K7 recorded shortly before his death is now, 11 years later, released internationally by Sterns Music titled The Young Man's Harp.
Curious if the recorded K7 has been in the local market stalls in 2005 in Mali, and if the new release is the pure original or if it has been toyed with for the international 2016 market?

More about Vieux Kanté:
PS: there seems more by Vieux Kanté (recorded 2001.Dec.10 at Bamako by Vincent Dorléans) available since 2013 at bandcamp

Profiter de la musique!
Always EAT them RAW!!!

5 comments:

  1. On the question you do on the video, the answer is probably yes, I edited this small excerpt from a film made by Moussa Diallo on his return to Africa, decided not to publish the film so that the author had opportunity to sell it, but I could resist, steal that wonderful extract of Vieux Kante.
    By the way have some unpublished Vieux audios.

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    1. =>NGONI
      Do you know when that video was filmed?
      Do know anything about the audio at bandcamp?
      Were any Vieux Kante recordings officially issued in Mali (original 2005 K7, etc)?
      Sorry for so many questions, but Vieux is such a brilliant musician, that I like to know more and more...

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  2. It is not safe to have the credits of the documentary from Moussa "Musical journey, is recorded from a TV broadcast, and they usually cut before the end.
    http://moussadiallo.com/flash/video/documentary.htm
    About the K7, it certainly is not of 2005, his last work is the style of Wssasoulou, I just got the unlucky dvd, but I extracted the audio.
    " Also I have four instrumentals recorded by Banning Eyre, on his first visit to Africa.I'll send you something.

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  3. This is truly wonderful, I've never seen or heard any other ngoni player play like him. I've watched this many many times on YouTube. Nice to get some information about the artist...but it makes me sad to read that he is dead.

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  4. By the way, I now saw your wish list and I have a recording with Oumou Sangaré from a concert in Sweden 1997. If you're interested I can send to you.

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