Nahawa Doumbia - 2020.Feb.04 KIT Dusseldorf

Nahawa Doumbia live in 2019

Early this year, before the virus hit our lives, there was live music to be enjoyed. One of those highlights I could catch from the German COSMO radio station [former FunkHaus Europa], Nahawa Doumbia at KIT in Dusseldorf.

Biography

Nahawa Doumbia was born in 1960 in Mafélé (Mali), a little village located near the border between Mali and Ivory Coast. A few days after she gave birth to Nahawa, her dying mother predicted her daughter a great career as a singer, though she did not belong to the griot caste.
"Nobody was allowed to sing in my family. That is why it has been so hard for me to come to music. One day, agents of the malian Ministry of Culture came to see my father and told him that I should take part in the "Youth Week" local event. He refused but I eventually was able to take part in it. Then I came to Bamako to compete at the "Youth Biennial", an event showing young artistic talents from Mali. I have been prized in 1980 with one of my songs. It was the very beginning of my career..."
Nahawa is now a star in Mali. The charm of her thin, childish voice made her one of the vocal references from western Africa. The queen of Didadi - a rhythm from Wassoulou region danced by young people at ceremonies and celebrations - decided to return to Wassoulou instrumental tradition with balafon, djembe, kamélé n'goni and guitars.
In 2011 the critically acclaimed blogger and ethnomusicologist Brian Shimkovitz chose Nahawa's early tape La Grande Cantatrice Malienne, Vol.3 to become the first official release on his new Awesome Tapes From Africa label. It received rave reviews worldwide. In 2015 Nahawa Doumbia played at the Le Guess Who? festival in Utrecht to great acclaim. This year, 2020, she was back with her band, still singing and swinging as ever before, untill the Corona-virus struck us all... Meanwhile she recorded her new album Kanawa, to be realeased early next year [2021]!
source: Mali K7 [from 2004] with recent additions from EarthBeat

NAHAWA DOUMBIA - 2020.Feb04 KIT Dusseldorf COSMO

setlist: 1.Mbalima Nyuma / 2.Nkaranka Tji / 3.Djon Konian / 4.Ntana / 5.Dunukan / 6.Sogo Duno / 7.Korodia / 8.Yan Kadi / 9.Sokono Wuluni

line-up: Nahawa Doumbia - vocals / N'Gou Bagayoko - guitar / Drissa Sidibe - n'goni

When downloading enjoy a 2015 Malian videoclip from Nahawa

For your full information an extensive discography and collected articles about Nahawa are all included in the download.

For who has enough time now between Christmas and New Year and is interested to see a very good film, I highly recommend to watch a beautiful film directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso. Have seen it several times at various locations, even once on Guinean TV in the court-yard of the compound I was staying then. I think it's very fitting in this Corona-virus year, which has hit our elderly the hardest.
You can watch Yaaba [1989] at youtube [with subtitles, if needed!]

By The Way NEVER 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)

Tinariwen-20170729_Juicy Beats Dortmund

Seems starting up again is a little more difficult than expected. So after some 3 weeks after previous post, herewith a real new upload.

Tinariwen 2017.Jul.29 at Juicy Beats Festival in Dortmund, Germany

A recent performance byTinariwen, the Tamasheq band with dry sand in their guitars and rhythms like driving camels (two steps ahead, one step back, and so on, but always slowly going ahead).

The funny thing from this recording is that the female singer seems to be living since some time in Germany and speaking the language of the audience, pretty good even!! The show is recorded by Cosmo Live, that is the former Funkhaus Europa Live, from which in the past I've posted several live recordings. No further 'talking' by me, here's the music for all of you!!



Tinariwen-20170729_Juicy Beats Dortmund - FHE

Setlist: 1.Assul - Intro / 2.Kel Tamashek / 3.Nazagh Ijbal / 4.Chet Boghassa / talk by female singer / 5.Azawad / 6.Group Adagh / 7.Tamatent / 8.El Ghalem / 9.Tifawt / 10.Talyat / 11.Aymana / 12.Ittus / 13.Assawt / 14.Sastannaqquam / 15.Chaghaybone

Source: Cosmo Live from 2017.Aug.25 (it's actual playlist)

More media for Tinariwen at Juicy Beats 2017:

• Photo Galery: COSMO beim Juicy Beats Festival 2017 (incl.other artists)
• Tinariwen: "Talyat" at Juicy Beats Festival 2017 (video - Cosmo)
• Tinariwen: "Ahimana" beim Juicy Beats Festival (video - Cosmo)

PS: Somebody asked for the BBC recordings from April, the splitting of those m4a files takes more time, for me at least (splitting, listening back, correct splitting, etc.). So this is in the pipeline, but before completion, the posting of this Cosmo recording seemed the best thing to do.