Thursday 31 December 2020

Mamar Kassey - 2013.Dec.11 KIT Dusseldorf FHE


Mamar Kassey in 2013 [picture from innacor.com.com]

Biography

The name Mamar Kassey belongs to the history of the Songhay people whose empire was extended from Walata (Moroco) to Dendi (Dahomey-nowadays called Benin). Mamar Kassey is the most famous of those people's ancestors who decided, to avoid fratricidal conflicts, to exile all along the Niger river and establish themselves in the areas of Kolmane, Yatakala, Wanzarbé, Tillabéry, Gotheye, Téra, Gaya and as far as Kandi in Benin.
Original band Mamar Kassey was created 1995 November 22 by two men: Yacouba Moumouni and Abdallah Al Hassane who are musicians trained by the "Centre de Formation et de Promotion Musicale de Niamey (CFPN Elhadj Taya)".
Yacouba Moumouni, more known under the nickname of "Denke Denke", nowadays is considered to be the most popular artist in Niger. Mamar Kassey is widely appreciated in all Western Africa. Tradition is not a limitation for Mamar Kassey's music but the dynamic element giving it all a sense and taste.
The essence of tradition flows into the band's compositions, free from any rigid codes, thanks to its open minded view of the music and respect of oral traditional singing. It propagates at the speed of light through the calabash's tempo and the "kalangou" drum. It unites in a subtle game of contrasts, the melodic lines of the rhythm guitar and of the little luth "Komsa". It talks through the singing and the "Seysé" flute which bounces as a tightrope on the lines of a bass under high voltage.
Mamar Kassey plays brilliantly and with professionalism well-executed arrangements supporting Yacouba's beautiful and powerful voice, full of sensuality and warmth with an authentic Nigerian identity strongly affirmed by a subtle play, performed by the traditional lutes "Komsa" and "Molo" and an armpit drum (Kalangou).
The beauty of dancers gestures is in perfect harmony with the rhythmic and melodic nuances of well-executed music. Mamar Kassey's music is a lot more than an addition of talents. It is the expression of a mutating culture, the link between the secret words of an art reserved to the "hogon" masters, God, fetishes and the universal language of the new millennium.
The band is not a mere coincidence but the accomplishment of combined efforts of men and women convinced by the necessity to give Nigeria its voice into the concert of world's music.
source: innacor.com/INNACOR2013/spip.php?rubrique46 [disappeared, not archived]


Listen to the 1.Lelly Yoro [live]


MAMAR KASSEY - 20131211 Dusseldorf FHE


Mamar Kassey - rec.2013.Dec.11 Dusseldorf - bc.2013.12.13 Funkhaus Europa 23h "World Live" 

setlist unknown, recording split-up in:
1.concert pt.1 / interview / 2.concert pt.2 / 3.encore

update - found the setlist through web.archive.org/web:
1.Lelly Yoro / --interview-- / 2.Mali (Djinnaarou) / 3.Daneedjo / 4.Taboussizé / 5.Mansaarou / 6.Hadoré / 7.Yeti - Yeta / 8.Habdè / 9.La Famille / 10.Dinké-Dinké / --encore-- / 11.Maidé e Gonga / 12.Mossi-Gueidou


probable line-up: Yacouba Moumouni - vocals, Peul flute, dance / Harouna "Harou" Abdou - bass, choir / Boubacar "Barry" Souleymane - calebas, vocals, choir / Abdramane Albarka - electric guitar / Adamou Daouda - kalangou (talking drums) / Seyni Halidou - molo, komsa (2/3 stringed lutes) / Fatoumata Amadou - vocals, choir, dance / Catherine Onadja - choir, dance


Related MultiMedia:

  • Mamar Kassey in 2014.Jan at VPRO Vrije Geluiden: Daneedjo / Mali [on youtube]
  • Mamar Kassey 2013 promo video by Studio le Rocher - vimeo

as Mamar Kassey are from Niger, they may be aware of:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own in the Sahara desert (in Niger)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this recording - and Happy New Year to you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. happy new year and welocme back
    we need all the good cheer
    things are hell in california
    roberth

    ReplyDelete