The winner of the ‘Album of the Year 2008 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music’ will perform at The Button Factory in Dublin on Thursday May 8.
Described by the UK’s Independent as “one of the year’s sensational new arrivals”, Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa.
In 2007 he released his first solo record, Segu Blue (OutHere), to universal acclaim not only from world music enthusiasts but music lovers right across the spectrum. Bassekou Kouyate is one of Mali’s most important musicians. He has played alongide Toumani Diabate in his Symmetric trio, was a member of Taj Mahal’s and Toumani Diabate’s Kulanjan project and was one of the key musicians on Ali Farka Toure’s posthumous album Savane (World Circuit) and subsequent tour,
leaving a lasting impression on the audience as the band’s solo ngoni
player.
Bassekou was born in a village called Garana, almost 40 miles from Segu, in the remote countryside on the banks of the Niger River. Bassekou moved to Bamako, where he met the young Toumani Diabate, when he was 19 years old. By the late 1980s, Bassekou was part of Toumani’s trio and they recorded their first albums together, Songhai and Djelika. Bassekou has now put together his own band, Ngoni ba (meaning “the big ngoni”), Mali’s first ngoni quartet. The ngoni is one of Africa’s secrets still to be discovered. It is the key instrument for the griot culture. The ngoni has been the main instrument in griot storytelling going way back to the 13th century. The
repertoire Bassekou plays is from the region of Segu, the heart of Bambara culture. This ancient Bambara music is as close to the blues as you can get in Africa.
See his myspace page for further information: http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate
Tickets for The Button Factory gig cost 25 Euro (including booking fee).
Bookings: 0818 719 300 (Ticketmaster) and from usual Ticketmaster outlets, online and Claddagh Records. Ticketmaster telephone and internet bookings subject to a maximum 12.5%, service charge, agents 2 Euro.