Startpage Artists, search Articles and interviews Links
RECORDS: MOUNEISSA WANITA BOWMBOI
1973 -
MALI
Language: | Bambara |
| Genre: | Traditional manding |
| Instrument: | Female vocals Guitar |
Articles: More about Rokia Traoré Interview The Importance of Being a Jali Muso
On the Internet On West African music Mali Music site
Rokia Traore belongs to the new, young generation of musicians from Mali. She had her breakthrough when she won Radio France's "African Discoveries" competition in 1997. In common with Ramata Diakite, she is not from a Griot family; that is to say she did not grow up learning the traditional music skills at her mother's knee. Yet she has had an upbringing that was full of song and music, but has not been able to sing at all the ceremonies because she is not a Griot.
After having won the Radio France prize, Ali Farka Toure took her under his wing and introduced her to Mali's Minister For Culture. In the space of a year she was put on the lists of concert arrangers, recording companies and culture centres in France, and promoted for concert tours in Europe and the USA. In the summer and autumn of 2000 she toured Europe and was a success whereever she was playing.
At home in Mali she is seen as a musical rebel and often called “Mali's Tracey Chapman”.
Relevant artists: Kandia Kouyate Ramata Diakité Oumou Sangare Ali Farka Toure Tama
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z COMPILATIONS ARTISTS A-Z
Last Modified:
22 nov 2009
Top of page
MOUNEISSA 
Indigo/Label Bleu/1998
A warm and charming debut album from Mali's new young star. In comparison to much of what she does on stage, this is surprisingly low-key. Like Ramata Diakite, Rokia Traore wrestles with the traditional nasal method of singing. She has no powerful voice, but compensates for this with a searching and sensitive style. The arrangements are pure acoustic, supported only by laid back bass here and there, something that suits the material perfectly. Rokia Traore's project is to modernise the traditional Mandinka music inside acoustic parameters. She sounds like a younger, female Ali Farka Toure and her subdued repetitive and blues-like themes go straight to the heart. (Click record company for music samples.)
BUY RECORD Top of page
WANITA Indigo/Label Bleu/2000
This album continues where "Mouneissa" left off, with acoustic arrangements including bass and individual untraditional elements. She mixes Malian xylophone, balafon with ngoni, the small Malian guitar, among other things and achieves a "modern" and unexpected effect. "Wanita" seems on the whole more considered and thorough than the previous album. On "Mancipera" the old gentleman, Boubacar Traore, collaborates and carries the variation and weight, and on three songs none other than Toumani Diabate plays kora. All in all a rather exciting album that's simultaneously traditional and modern. And, in addition, both catchy and varied. Rich and tasteful lyrics with loads of interesting information accompany the album. This is easy to like. (Click record company for music samples.)
BUY RECORD Top of page
KJØP PLATE Editor: Bjørn-Erik Hanssen
post(a)leopardmannen.no Startpage Artists, search Articles and interviews Links
Design: Idar Lind English: Katherine Stewart-Kreisman Swahili: Francis Chagula (francis.chagula@malvik.kommune.no) Swahili: Habiba Rajabu (habiba@online.no) Flags: 3Dflags.com
Go deeper.