Bako Dagnon - 2008.Nov.01 at Womex [R6]

Bako Dagnon - live at Womex 2008 [source: Radio 6]

Bako Dagnon (also written as Backo or Baco Dagnon), born 1948 in N'Golobladji [near Kita in Mali], started singing as a child, accompanying her mother at ceremonies such as baptisms and marriages. Being a griot, she was teached in genealogy and the history of Mali, in order to sing about Mali's great past, going back to the Mali empire of the thirteenth century. After having participated at local shows in Kita, she was selected for the Biennale of Bamako in 1972 to represent her region.
At the Biennale, she was very successful with he song "Yiri Kolo". In 1974, she was recruted to join the Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali, where she stayed for 10 years. Along with great female singers such as Mokontafe Sacko, Sarafing Kouyaté, Wandé Kouyaté and Nantenedié Kamissoko, she helped developing and promoting traditional Malian music with the Ensemble Instrumental. Moreover, the dean of Mali music, the late Bazoumana Sissoko, invited her several times to sing at his house.
After a serious road accident in the 1980s Bako decided to leave the Ensemble Instrumental, which at the time was suffering from a lack of funding. In 1990, she was offered a record deal by an Indian music producer from Liberia and registered her first cassette record [Super Sound #SS.81]. After the recording of a second cassette [title unknown], the production company disappeared in the midst of the Liberian Civil War.
In the 1990s, Bako Dagnon continued giving public and private concerts, however she didn't do recordings until the beginning of the 2000s when she managed to gain some popularity outside of Mali. She participated on the albums Mandekalou (2004), Mandekalou II (2006) and Electro Bamako (2006). In 2007, under the production of Ibrahima Sylla, her first international solo album, Titati, was recorded and released on Syllart Records. At the end of 2008 she did a showcase at Womex in Sevilla. On 2009 January 14 Bako Dagnon was made a knight of the National Order of Mali. Later in that year she recorded with the same team as two years earlier, her next, 7th, album titled Sidiba.
Some years later Bako became seriously ill, she died 2015 July 07 in the Hospital of Point-G in Bamako. Her funeral was organised the following day in the neighbourhood where she had been living, it took place in the presence of numerous public figures and political leaders.
sources used: musiques-afrique and wikipedia


Listen to a track of Bako's showcase at Womex



DAGNON-BAKO-20081101_Womex - R6


setlist: 5 tracks [titles not given]
broadcasted 2008.November live at Dutch Radio 6
line up: Arnold Moueza - percussions / Bako Dagnon - vocals / Hadja Kouyaté - backing vocals / Lassana Aliou Diabaté - guitar / Mama Sissoko - guitar / Pascal Mikaelian - harmonica

Bonus in download:

• 2010.Sep.09, RFI Musique du Monde - Live au studio 136 avec Bako Dagnon [et Mouss et Hakim]
  setlist: interview / 1.Sidiba / interview // others // 2.Badjigui / interview // others
• live video of Bako Dagnon - as promotion for Sidiba [2009]

More from and about Bako Dagnon

• 2007-09: album tracks at soundcloud - Toubaka [from Titati] and Fadeen To [from Sidiba]
• 2009-12: The Voice of Tradition - Bako Dagnon and her Family - at growingintomusic and vimeo
  this is an extract of the film 'Da Kali - the pledge to the art of the griots' by Lucy Duran
  note: Trio Da Kali was brought together during the above filming by Lucy Duran
• 2010.July: article in Le Monde - in French
• 2010.Aug.12: article in Liberation - in French
• 2010.Sep.22: live performance at Ina Music Live - watch Sidiba / Titati
• 2013 [?]: Sumu Kura Bako Dagnon - starting with performances by others - followed by a talk with Bako - final with Bako performing
• 2015.Dec.22: Remembering Bako Dagnon [and Venâncio Mbande] by Banning Eyre - afropop [note: page layout is chaotic, corrected version is included in download]

Discography

ca.1990: Bako Dagnon [local K7, Super Sound Inc #SS.81, Liberia] - posted at freedomspear *
other local K7s: Nnah vol.1 / Kedo / and 2 more, titles unknown
2004: VA - Mandekalou - The Art And Soul Of The Mande Griots - vocals on 2 tracks
2006: VA - Mandekalou II - he Art And Soul Of The Mande Griots II - vocals on 2 tracks
2006: Marc Minelli - Electro Bamako [CD, All Other ‎#AOM.007] - vocals on Donso Ke
2007: Titati [CD, Syllart /Discograph 613301-2] - press release [in French]
2009: Sidiba [CD, Syllart /Discograph] - press release [in French] [seems liner notes of CD] / liner notes by Lucy Duran [in French]
2011: Live [digital release only] - listenable at bandcamp

* have missed that K7 posted at freedomspear and now the download is not available anymore, can a kind soul reading this post and having the audio of this K7 contact me by mail or through this post's comments [thanks in advance!]

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

KAMALAMAS - Surinam Tropical Sound [1969]

This album I found a few weeks ago on a book fair, where in a corner they had some vinyl for real bargain prices. Mainly floppy pop, a lot of classical and some "other music", of course I was only interested in the latter and found this:

scan of the album I found at the fair

Now I have to say, that I know [knew!] nothing of Surinam music, am hardly interested in music from South-America, but couldn't resist this one. Played it at home, like it a lot and delved into the behinds of this album, without any date on it anywhere. Also the label was strange to me as I know BASF only from empty tapes and K7s, they produced in the past, and chemicals they've done always. Anyway I found a lot of interesting info and let's start with a bio of the band leader.

Biography of Charles 'Eddy' Muringen

Charles 'Eddy' Muringen (1934.Jan.28 - 2009.Feb.18) grew up in Paramaribo, Surinam [former Dutch colony in South-America], as the youngest of a family of 7 children. At a very young age, when he was a boy scout, he opted for the musical genes.The trumpet became his first instrument, later he also learned to play the piano, guitar and vibraphone.
On 1956 March 01 Eddy entered the army, in which he would become one of the bandleaders ["Kapellmeister"] from 1975 till 1985, that make him one of the most important people in the music history of Suriname.
Some months later he married his girlfriend Thelma Henriette Burleson, their marriage is blessed with 7 children.
In 1969, he traveled as a trumpet player and one of the composers and arrangers to the [Militairy] Tattoo in Delft, the Netherlands. This musical spectacle causes many surprises with the audience because of the mixing of marching music with the Kaseko [musical genre from Suriname, a fusion of pop and folk styles from Europe, Africa and the Americas].
After this thunderous performance in Delft, Eddy immediately decided to use the opportunity to record an album, which will become legendary. In a studio in Heemstede, together with some members of the TRIS Chapel with which he is currently in the Netherlands, the LP 'Eddy Muringen and the Kamalamas" is recorded.
One of his most famous compositions on the album is 'We gwe ma we kon baka', which can still be heard on the radio, during concerts and at other occasions, almost 5 decades later. Another composition is 'Sinangoo', it is impossible to sit still when you hear its first tones.
Many believe that the songs on this LP can be considered belonging to the kaseko jazz genre and that it is the basis for this type of music. Musicians themselves are of the opinion that Eddy Muringen was the founder of the Kamalama style [instrumental kaseko] as we still know it today.
Later he was a member of many legendary groups like La Sonora Paramarera, Orchestra Tropical, Swing Masters, Cojunto Latinos, Popular Orchestra, Muringen Combo and Rodrigues Combo. He also gave music lessons to school teachers, many people still remember having received the solfège lessons from him.
In his 70s he is diagnosed with cancer, on 2009.Feb.18, just 2 weeks after his 75th birthday, he dies. At his funeral his children sing the stars from the sky. Suriname lost a great musician there, but his legacy is invaluable.
source: based on "The musical heritage of Charles 'Eddy' Muringen", in Dutch [translation]


Listen to Emelina Gerardina from the album



KAMALAMAS - Surinam Tropical Sound - led by Eddy Muringen [1969]


Kamalamas led by Eddy Muringen - Surinam Tropical Sound (Skratji Pokoe)
1969, LP, BASF #12-25478-6 [Holland/Surinam]
side A: a1.Sinango / a2.Emelina Gerardina / a3.Mina Mina / a4.Mi Brada / a5.Badji Kamalama / a6.Bosi Né Lowé //
side B: b1.Tintong / b2.Salm Kang / b3.Mé Gwé / b4.Sang Joe Dé Watji Mi / b5.Soekroe Finga / b6.Bari Na Doti

all songs traditionals arranged by Eddy Muringen and Alberto Gemerts
line-up: Eddy Muringen - piano / August Macintosch - trumpet / Carlo Jones - alt sax / Leo Knoppel - tenor sax / Albert Collins - drums / Johan Cederboom - skratji drong (percussion) / Ronald Esseboom - bass

Liner Notes [translation]:

Skratji Pokoe is one of the Surinam old rhythms. On this album Eddy Muringen and his Kamalama's give in a dignified way rebirth to this piece of Surinam culture, which is for the first time recorded for release on vinyl.
The hart of this music is the 'skratjidrong', which must be played in a special way, to reveal its characteristic rhythm. We have to be grateful to Eddy and his band, that with this LP, they have recorded for eternity this piece of traditional music from Surinam.
BASF wishes you many pleasant hours of dancing on the music of this album.
original liner notes in Dutch and Sranan Tongo [Surinam creole language] on backside of sleeve

About Kaseko - the music of Surinam

The slaves in Surinam brought with them their own music from West-Africa [Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegambia]. After some time the various styles melted together with leading roles by the holy drums [Apinti] and the vocals. This music, called Winti, was in 6/8 time signature and finally got banned because of its ritual-religious character.
After the abolishment of slavery in the 19th century most former slaves awaited unemployment and they moved from the plantations to the towns at the coast. There they encountered various string instruments, which they integrated into their own musical style, developed in common 4/4 time signature, called Kawina. 

skratji-drong [source]

In the 1930s the army, police and scouts started their own musical groups, chapels and marching bands, and recruited local musicians, who got introduced to wind instruments and learned to play marches. To earn some extra money, they also performed in their free time and started integrating the new instruments into their own music. This way did arise the typical Surinam music called Bigi Poka with improvisations on wind instruments.
A typical Bigi Poka orchestra consisted of tuba, banjo, snare drums, saxes, trumpets and the skratji-drong, a hand played base-drum with a cymbal on top. One by one newer instruments, like electric guitar and bass and drum kit were introduced and replaced some of  the older ones. Also the style developed from improvisation into songs with lead vocals. At this point, in the 1960s, the music from these bands is called Kaseko.
source: article in 1980s music magazine [paper copy, I happened to start rereading this week]

The posted album is the only recorded instrumental Kaseko and considered a real classic in Surinam.



skratji-drong played live in the 1980s [source: 1980s music magazine]

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

Thomas Mapfumo - 1998.Jul.07 Peel Session BBC

I have posted two tracks of a repeat of this session before, now I'm happy to present to you the complete 4-track session as broadcasted by John Peel himself.

Thomas Mapfumo - source BBC artists

Listen to Chickende from the session


MAPFUMO THOMAS - 19980707 - Peel Session BBC [orig&rpt]



Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited
rec.1998.Jul.07 - Radio 1 Peel Session - bc.1998.Aug.11
tracklist: 1.Dai Pasina Satani# / 2.Chickende / 3.Mukadzi Wemukoma# / 4.Usatambe Nenyoka#
notes: all tracks as broadcasted by John Peel, incl.his in-outros; tracks marked #, also included as repeated 2017-19 on BBC 6 music

More about Thomas Mapfumo

• see previous post from 2018.Sep [incl.Kershaw 2002 session]

This was a first quick post today, stay tuned for the later main dish, from areas not featured previously on here on Mangue Music!!

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

Kasse Mady Diabate 2014.Nov at BBC & VPRO

Since some time I wanted to post the 2014 session and live recordings I had from Kasse Mady Diabate, but both had some weak points: the BBC session had an incomplete track and the VPRO live recordings were only 4 tracks.



Kassé Mady Diabaté - 2014.Nov.30 at Music Meeting XS

First this week at BBC 6music the incomplete track was fully rebroadcasted, and then, when searching more from Kasse Mady, I found that the whole 2014.Nov.30 concert at the Music Meeting XS is available at VPRO's own site. Probably since the 4 tracks were broadcasted in their Vrije Geluiden radio show late 2014, but curiously I never came across the full concert before.


Listen to a track from the BBC session


Kasse Mady Diabate 2014.Nov - Session and Live


2014.Nov.23, BBC 6music Cerys on 6 - Session
setlist: introduction / 1.Ko Kuma Magni / interview / 2.Simbo
rpt.BBC 6music Gideon Coe on 2019.Oct.30  and 2019.May.22
line-up: Kasse Mady Diabate - vocals / Makan 'Badje' Tounkara - ngoni
note: with translations and explanations by Lucy Duran

2014.Nov.30, Music Meeting XS
setlist: Simbo [Kassé Mady Diabaté] / Sory [trad.] / Kirike [trad.] / Yatoba [trad.] / Mamadou [trad.] / solo Balake / Sadio [trad.] / Kokuma [trad.]
bc.2014.Dec.21, Radio 6 Soul & Jazz - Vrije Geluiden VPRO [only 4 tracks]
full concert listenable at the VPRO Vrije Geluiden website [who knows till when, so included for your forever enjoyment!]
line-up: Kassé Mady Diabaté - zang / Ballaké Sissoko - kora / Lansine Kouyaté - balafoon / Badjé Tounkara - ngoni



Ballaké Sissoko - Badjé Tounkara - Kassé Mady Diabaté - Lansine Kouyaté
2014.Nov.30 Music Meeting XS

More about/from Kasse Mady Diabate:

• Obituary: Kassé Mady Diabaté 1949-2018 - by Lucy Durán
• Kasse Mady (1949-2018), moving tribute by Stefan at WrldSrv
• Interview with Kassé Mady Diabaté [2015.Jul at Womad] - rhythmpassport.com  
• Interview [and music] with Kassé Mady Diabaté [ca.2017] - youtube
• Just before the Music Meeting XS, Kasse Mady together with Badje Tounkara did a session in the VPRO TV studio [youtube]: Ko Kuma Magni / Toumarou

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

Fodeba Keita - Guinee & Casamance EP [1959]

Got my player working properly again, still don't really know how. Opened, everything looked OK inside, but the left channel remained silent; closed it and still only silence on the left side. Then when just trying one hour or so later, hurrah, everything worked fine, full stereo sound!

1959, 7" EP, Le Chant du Monde #LDY.4048 - 33 tours 1/3

So happy to be able to present to you all the 1959 EP by Fodeba Keita et son Ensemble Africain with music from Guinee & Casamance. The order of that title is actually not according to what's on the disc, as there are first 4 tracks from Casamance [in creole] and then 2 tracks from Guinee [in soussou].
And more strange things with this EP, as checking info about it on the internet, I think I have the original first issue 1959 sleeve with a later reissue disc. I base that on comparing the versions of labels I have seen on various sites. I even sent an inquiry mail to those currently owning "Le Chant du Monde", musicsales.co.uk, but so far no reply.
Furthermore I think that although the disc is dated 1959, the recordings and preparations of it were done before on 1958.Oct.02 Guinee got back its independence from France. This EP is subtitled "Chants et Danses d'Afrique", while a later reissue "Chants et Danses de Guinee".

Liner Notes [in French]

La familiere Europe avec ses czardas, ses tarentelles, ses flamencos, legitimement reconnus, naturalises, localises, abandonne l'amoureux du folklore, pantois, au seuil de la musique africaine.
Ou donc donner de l'oreille? Ou apposer le rassurant cachet de l'authenticite?
Faut-il bailler aux monotones psalmodies documentaires des dignes ethnologues? S'effarer aux rythmes abusivement delirants des tam-tams cinemascopiques? Sourire aux pueriles exhibitions des boites negres a Paris?
Le folklore africain est-il aussi mort que l'Atlandide, aussi vierge que les forets inexplorees? Ou est le folklore africain? Mais ou sont les folklores d'antan?
Keita Fodeba ne se hasarde guere a resoudre d'aussi graves problemes. Pour lui, le folklore est bien vivant, quotidien. Il chante dans la melopee du griotte guineen, ce moderne troubadour des palabres africaines, il danse dans les refrains des creoles de Casamance.
Il dit l'amour, "fragile comme un oeuf, qui casse le sien est perdu" (Couri-Couri). Il proclame les charmes de (Carolina) ou clame une declaration d'amour par telephone (Telephonista). Et s'il accompagne les festivites traditionelles de la Circoncision, il donne aussi la recette du "mari ideal".
Bon pied, bon oeil, le folklore africain se moque des etiquettes et des puristes, il chante, donc il est.

--Dessin de G. JUSTH

Listen to the opening track:



GUINEE 1958 EP - Fodeba Keita [vinyl]


Fodeba Keita et son Ensemble Africain - Chants et Danses d'Afrique - Guinee & Casamance
1959, 7" EP, Le Chant du Monde #LDY.4048 - 33 tours 1/3
a1.Couri-Couri / a2.Aloa / a3.Carolina // b1.Téléphonista / b2.Laila / b3.Saidouba
tracknr.a1-b1: Casamance, dialecte creole portugais
tracknr.b2-b3: Guinee, dialecte soussou
Kante Facelli - guitare / Achkar Marouf et Yansané Kerfala - solistes


Fodeba Keita

Keita Fodeba was born 1921.Jan.19 in Siguiri [city in northeastern Guinee on the River Niger]. After completing his primary education in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, he attended William Ponti Institute in Dakar (Senegal). In 1944, he graduated with a teaching degree from Dakar. After teaching high-school students a couple of years in Senegal, he moved to Paris in 1948 and became an avid researcher of theater and dance. Eventually, in 1949, he founded The African Theatre of Keita Fodeba.

His first efforts of producing and introducing African style drama had many hardships. After a couple of years of struggling with language and cultural problems, he renamed his company Les Ballets Africains of Keita Fodeba in 1954. He chose dance as his primary attraction, because it allowed him to express many aspects of African life by using original rhythms created by numerous unique instruments.
The first Les Ballets Ahicains performance was staged at the Theatre Etoile de Paris in 1952 November. It was an instant success. After touring in France for a couple of years, Fodeba brought his company to Africa in 1955 and produced an extensive tour among French Colonies of West Africa. During that trip, he was selected to be Minister of Interior of the Republic of Guinea by Guineas former President, Ahmed Sekou Toure.
Fodeba later was invited to be the head of Defense and Security of Guinea, during the country's war to gain independence. After changing several positions within the government, he got arrested for political reasons on 1969 March 21 [ed.: not 1965 as in pdf] and was killed in prison. Guinea still mourns Keita Fodeba as the teacher who pioneered a dance company that connected African culture to the rest of the world and introduced its legacy with style and elegancy.
source: 2003/04 program of US Tour by Ballet Africains [pdf]

Kanté Facély
[= Kante Facelli, playing guitar on "Chants et Dances d'Afrique - Guinee Casamance"]

Kanté Facély was born in 1922 in Kissidougou [city in southern Guinee], where he had attended primary school until the middle course. In 1944, when learning to play the guitar by practicing tunes from Guinee, in Saint-Louis in Senegal he met Keita Fodeba. They became friends and together created an orchestra called "Sud Jazz". Facély was the principal animator of the orchestra, mainly intended to let people in Senegal hear the immense resources of the folk music from the Casamance to Cameroon. Later on they together started the artistic group called "Progrès". In 1948 Fodeba left Senegal and his friend and went to Paris, where he started another group, which over timer became the Ballet Africains. Some years later Facély reunited with Fodeba in Paris, joined thegroup and became the artistic director, the real soul, of the Ballet.
For Fodeba Facély was not only for a musical collaborator, but also a friend and a brother. His contribution to African art were immense, he was the first to record a rich repertoire of African songs magnifying, at a time when it was difficult, the magnitudes of the African past and embodying therefore the most dignified patriotic feelings.
Kanté Facély died in the night of 1961.Jul.11-12, when returning home from an international tour with the Ballet, his plane on its way from Prague to Conakry crashed in Casablanca. With his death African art lost one of his pioneers.
bio based on "Obituaire by Keita Fodéba and Declaration by président Sékou Touré"

1966 article written by Keita Fodeba [found Dec.10, added to the post, not included in download]

Ballets Africains: Universal Expression
1966 October 02 [sunday], The Los Angeles Times, Calender page 23

More about Fodeba Keita and the Ballets Africains

When collecting information for this post, I came across a lot of information about the Ballets Africains, programmes, articles, reviews, pictures, sounds and videos. Most are included in the download, here are some links for direct enjoyment:

• Keita Fodeba et son ensemble Guinéen - Minuit: poème mandingue [2x78T, recital of poem "Minuit" in 4 parts] - listen at bibliotheques-specialisees
• Keïta Fodeba et son ensemble africain - Laincima / Couri-couri [78T, incl.early version of the first track on the EP] - listen at bibliotheques-specialisees
• Pictures at gettyimages [a mix of 1950s/60s and more recent]
• 1950.Jan.19: Keita Fodeba et son Ensemble Guinéen - Theatre Program 1949-1950 [French]
• 1954.March: Program [French - 2 versions at tce-archives.fr: 1690 and 1693]
• 1954.May: the "ballet troupe" of Keita Fodeba featured in the Italian film "Carosello Napolitano" [dir.Ettore Giannini] - watch a scene at youtube
• 1959.January: The True Meaning of African Dances - article by Keita Fodeba [The Unesco Courier, pages 18-23] - available at numeridanse.tv 
• 1963.Sep.27: La Guinée, cinq ans après - Guinee, 5 years later [meaning: 5 years after independence from France] -  TV report for "Sept jours du monde" [14:58], mainly interview with Sekou Toure, including short clips of a.o.Ballets Africains [ca.8:00] and Les Amazones de Guinee [ca.10:15, I think] - watch it at fresques.ina.fr 
• "Chants et Danses de Guinee" version of the EP was in 2011 posted at soulsafari [not the whole EP, only 2 tracks]  

label side A - differs from orginal "d'Afrique" and later "de Guinee" reissue I have seen
if anybody has more info about the issued versions, please comment to this post

PS: I'm very curious about the following details of my EP

• the card which was inside the sleeve [incl.basic info about and a number, 195]
• name written on backside of sleeve: BEEREN [underlined]
• mixe-up of original 1959 sleeve with reissue version of disc [I think]
• the earlier posted "Chaque Peuple sa Culture Vol-2" has a name written on the label of side A: SYLLA [encircled]

If anybody can shine some light on the above curiosities, please comment to this post

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

Tamikrest 2011-13 Radio Sessions VPRO-BBC

As promised was planning to post vinyl, but got problems with my equipment. Yesterday my record player gave only signals through one channel [the left one], and full silence on the right side.Tried everything on the outside, buttons, cabling, shaking it upside down, sleeping one night and hoping it would return to normal. But allas no change, seems that I need to open the thing and check inside, hopefully I can work it out in the coming days.
So as I want to post something this weekend [every weekend!], I have to skip the promised vinyl [from Guinee, 1958!] and have to settle for something else.

Tamikrest 2011.Jul.03 at Metropolis Festival, Rotterdam [source:3voor12 VPRO]

Happens that last night the BBC repeated a 2013 radio session by Tamikrest. Dived into my archive and found another, Dutch, radio session by them. Togther I'll present these sessions here for your earful enjoyment.

About Tamikrest

Tamikrest are a group of desert nomads from Mali, Niger and Algeria. They have been branded the "spiritual sons" of Malian super-group Tinariwen.
Tamashek is the language of the Touareg, a nomadic people inhabiting the Saharan desert across various countries, including Niger, Algeria, Libya and Mali. The name Tamikrest is Tamashek for junction or connection or coalition. The seven members of Tamikrest, who originate from Mali, Niger and Algeria, came together to express their Touareg identity through Ishumar rock, the Touareg rebel music.
The band's leader and songwriter, 27-year-old [in 2010!] singer/guitarist Ousmane Ag Mossa explains: "When Touareg children arrive in the public Malian schools, they are soon confronted with an administration that refuses to see the realities our people suffer. Our hope is to have the world listen to our revolutionary songs, which reflect the harsh life conditions that our people endure."
Tamikrest's songs also praise the desert, a place that is fundamental for the Touareg.
source: 2010.May.28, Radio 3 World on 3 [when Tamikrest played it's 1st BBC Radio Session]


Listen to an album track from Tamikrest



TAMRIKEST-2011-13 - SESSIONS VPRO-BBC


2011.Jul.03 VPRO 3voor12 Session at Metropolis Festival
setlist: not given, and no time to work it out now [tot.16:59]
audio source: original video at above given link

2013.Oct.20 - BBC 6music Session - Cerys Matthews
setlist: Itous / Tisnant n'Chatma [tot.8:34]
audio source: rpt.2019.Oct.20, 6music Live Hour
bonus: Imanin Bas Zihoun [played on the same day at BBC ONE's Andrew Marr Show]

Related multi-media

• 2011.Jul.03: VPRO 3voor12 Session at Metropolis Festival - video at vpro.nl 
• 2013.Jan.27: What may the future hold for Mali? - BBC ONE
  with Andy Morgan, Ibrahim ag Youssouf and Bassekou Kouyate
• 2013.Oct.20: Tamikrest live on the Andrew Marr Show - BBC ONE / UK only 
• 2013.Nov.26: Report from the Sahel Festival in north of Senegal [incl.Tamikrest playing and interview] - video at bbc news 

PS: the BBC has broadcasted more recordings of Tamikrest [2010.May.28 Radio 3 Session / 2011.Jun.27 Radio 2 Session / 2013.Mar.01, Radio 3 - World on 3 - Concerts]. Don't have any of those, if anybody has some of it and able to share, please be so kind to comment to this post.

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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

Marema - 2019.Aug.17 Schokoladenmuseum, Köln

Before digitizing some vinyl, first a recent discovery!



Marema Fall  from Dakar, Senegal

Marema Fall is the new talent in Senegalese music. She was born in the Dakar suburbs to a Mauritanian father and a Senegalese mother. Her mother was a fan of Tracy Chapman, whose acoustic music joined young Marema in the cradle and would remain a key influence. Listening to Tracy's music made Marema decide to learn to play the guitar.
After graduating from the music school of the Maison de la Culture de Dakar in 2011, she began as a backing singer with leading Senegalese artists, including Didier Awadi, Yoro Ndiaye, Edu Bocandé, Metzo Djatah and Idrissa Diop. Meanwhile, she composed and wrote her own repertoire. Ivorian band leader and guitarist Mao Otayeck, known for his work with Alpha Blondy, Salif Keita, Tony Allen and Stevie Wonder, noticed her then and accompanied her in the production of her first solo recording.
Following the release of an initial single, "Femme d'affaires," in 2014 she won the Star Africa Sounds Jury Award, the Bema jury award and the prestigious Découvertes RFI award, enabling her to undertake a 15 countries tour. She was also nominated to the All Africa Music Awards in the "Best female artist in African inspirational music" category.
Marema’s music blends traditional influences with contemporary beats. Her borderless melodies touch upon African sounds as well as blues, pop and rock. Her repertory reflects her mixed identity. In "Femme d’affaires," the rock guitar meets the xalam, a popular string instrument in West Africa. In the song, Marena pays tribute to strong women who rely only upon themselves to move ahead. A talent urgently worth discovering.
source: www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com/en/artistes/marema/

no soundcloud pre-listen this time
as I didn't like to cut this live recording into separate tracks


MAREMA-20190817_MitAfrika Festival DE


setlist: 1.Alalu Aduna / 2.Dimbeuleunté / 3.Samba / 4.Beoeuley / 5.Initié / 6.Africa / 7.Marema Bayo Baye
rec.2019.Aug.17 MitAfrika Festival am Schokoladenmuseum, Köln
bc.2019.Aug.30, WDR, Radio COSMO - Live [former FunkHaus Europa]

Multi-media with Marema

• Marema's official twitter and facebook
• Winner of RFI Prix Découvertes 2014 - rfi [french]
• Introduction for the 2015 Africa Festival Würzburg - youtube
• My Friend [2016 acoustic] - youtube
• Femme d'affaires [2016 videoclip] - youtube
• Africa Festival 2017 [full concert] - ARTE Concert [available till 2019.Dec.31]
• Patriote [2019 videoclip] - youtube

Discography

2014: Femme d’affaires [single]
2014: Prix Découvertes EP [promo CDsingle]
2016: Initie [album, Mtg Prod]
2019: Patriote [?announced as album, but only found videoclip!? see above!]

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

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