MUSIC ROUGH GUIDES THE ROUGH GUIDE to the music of Mali To my mind, Mali is the crown jewel of West Africa to flat rooftops. The glassy waters of the River proud. Furthermore, it was clear that home- the founding of the Mande empire. As … though I only really ended up there by chance, Niger were perfectly still, interrupted only by the grown music took pride of place – voices such as commentators, advisers to their patrons and safe- and the luck of being in the right place at the right silhouette of black pirogues waiting to be loaded Boubacar Traore, Kandia Kouyate, Djeneba Seck keepers of an ancient tradition, jelis perform an time. With a few weeks off from university in Togo, for their journey upstream. Dry, arid and and Ali Farka Toure were some of the first I heard extremely important role in society and their and heading away from the coastal belt, I made landlocked though it is, the landscape is from local record players. profession is closely guarded. The class is my way through the forested plateau region, up formidable.’ endogamous and surnames are caste-based, so to the north of the country, and over the border Of course, I later discovered that Malian music certain names are held predominantly by to Burkino Faso, cloaked in a haze from the But without a doubt, for me the greatest discovery has a vast international following and is a force jelis, including Kouyate, Kante, Diabate, Tounkara Harmattan dust. Outside a bus station in Bobo – with little previous knowledge at the time – was to be reckoned with in the world music scene. But and Sissoko. Dioulasso, I noticed a sign that said, ‘Bus leaving the music, which seemed to infiltrate every aspect what was it that gave it such presence? And why for Mopti’, and, recognizing the name as a town of society and was present on every street and in is music so intrinsic to society there? Particularly prestigious traditional instruments in Mali, decided to buy a ticket. It was the best markets, restaurants, hotels and people’s homes include the ngoni (a three- to five-stringed lute), decision I ever made, as Mali has had by far the at each turn. In Togo, where the development of This can largely be attributed to the fact that Mali which is the main instrument of the Bamana jelis greatest impact on me of any place I have visited. its own music scene was stifled by the oppressive has an ancient musical heritage and, while today of central Mali; the balafon, a type of xylophone Noting my first impressions, I wrote, ‘When light regime of Général Gnassingbé Eyadéma, ghetto there are countless variants and subcategories, whose homeland is Guinea; and the kora, which surfaced, there was a vast, magnificent backdrop. blasters blared Congolese soukous, Ivoirien they are firmly and proudly rooted in history. is thought to have come from the Mandinka In the searing heat of the day, we reached Mopti zouglou and Western pop, but in Mali it was evident kingdom (parts of present-day Guinea-Bissau with its narrow, sandy streets, lined with from the start that the country had its own very The lineage of professional musicians and orators and Senegal) and whose sound is often compared Sudanese-style houses with zigzag steps leading distinct musical identity, of which it was highly known as jeliya dates back hundreds of years to to the harp. Crown jewel of West Africa beautifully preserved Mali musical dynasty The three main Mande languages are Maninka encouraged to draw on Mande traditions and choice and this is what separates them from those preserved jeli tradition and the dance bands that (western Mali and eastern Guinea), Bamana include elements of the music in their repertoires. elsewhere in the country. Wassoulou draws from flourished with independence, to the rocking (central Mali) and Mandinka (the Gambia, When Moussa Traore – Mali’s second president – the sacred hunter’s music, and the sound is desert blues of groups like Tinariwen and southern Senegal and Guinea-Bissau). Artists came to power, he discouraged the influence of characterized by the kamelengoni (hunter’s harp) the ancient music of Mali’s hunter societies – is representing Maninka jeli music on this album Cuban dance music and many of the old dance and djembe (framed drum, which originated in a near impossible task. There is plenty more to include Toumani Diabate, Kandia Kouyate, Habib bands reformed as part of the roots revival. One Wasulu). Women are the true stars of Wassoulou say and this merely scratches the surface … but Koité and Keletigui Diabate. of these bands was the Super Rail Band du Buffet music, and there is surely no finer testimony to one thing is certain: I never imagined that a Hôtel de la Gare, which launched the careers this than the great Oumou Sangare. chance detour to Mali would unravel a cultural The Bamana people are known to have resisted of Mory Kante and Salif Keita. Their rival band, and musical goldmine. Islam, and their music reflects a history of Les Ambassadeurs du Motel (who went on to Representing the non-jeli and non-Mande strand separateness. The sound is quite different – it is become Les Ambassadeurs Internationales) of Malian music on this compilation are the late, BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA – Bassekou bluesier, and prefers a five-note minor scale to developed an eclectic, more experimental style, great desert bluesman Ali Farka Toure and his Kouyate is from the region of Ségou in south- the seven-note scale used in Maninka music. playing popular songs imported from Cuba, protégé, Afel Bocoum – both came from Niafunke, central Mali. He is one of the best-known and Bassekou Kouyate celebrates the Bamana jeli Senegal and France. on the banks of the River Niger, and both were –loved ngoni players in the country and has style, also drawn upon by artists such as Boubacar heavily influenced by the music surrounding their collaborated with myriad musicians, both abroad Traore and Rokia Traore (both non-jeli musicians). Another genre drawn from ancient tradition home town in the north. and on home turf. Born into the traditional jeli is Wassoulou, from the southern region of Wasulu. lineage, his mother was a praise singer With independence, and the quest to define a Here, musicians call themselves kono, meaning An attempt to cover every strain of Malian music (jelimusow) and his brothers exceptional ngoni strong national identity, dance bands were ‘songbirds’. They are free to be musicians out of in such a short space – from the beautifully players. At the age of 19, he moved to Bamako, Bassekou Kouyate Ali Farka Touré Habib Koité Amadou & Mariam Issa Bagayogo where he met Toumani Diabate. By the late 1980s, we still have good quality of life. You can walk developed in Bamako but aligned with this region. experiences travelling abroad. The daughter of a Bassekou was part of Toumani’s trio and they outside and smile and someone will smile back.’ It draws heavily from ancient traditions and Malian diplomat, she spent her childhood moving recorded their first albums together, Songhai and female singers have always been considered its around the world tapping into different countries, Djelika. Bassekou married the singer Amy Sacko AMADOU & MARIAM – Amadou and Mariam met great stars. The singers are predominantly judged cultures and music. and they are greatly sought after for the traditional in 1977 at the Institute for the Blind in Bamako. by their ability with words rather than just the Sunday wedding parties (sumu) that happen in Amadou had been a guitarist in Les strength of their voices. Luckily for Oumou, she VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ FEAT ALI FARKA TOURÉ – the streets of Bamako. Bassekou has now put Ambassadeurs – one of the most popular bands has enormous talent for both. Her voice is soaring, Son of the late Ali Farka Touré, Vieux grew up both together his own band, Ngoni ba (the big ngoni) – of the time – and Mariam was a singer at her stage presence unforgettable, and she is also in Bamako and Niafunke, and was deeply Mali’s first ngoni quartet. In July 2007, he recorded weddings and traditional festivals. Frustrated by a fearless spokesperson for women’s rights. influenced by the music of his father. At first, his his debut album Segu Blue. the lack of opportunities for them in Mali, they father forbade him to play music – he wanted him moved to Abidjan in 1986, where they made a AFEL BOCOUM – Afel Bocoum’s career in music to become a soldier instead. But, in 1999, against ALI FARKA TOURÉ & TOUMANI DIABATE – This series of cassette-only releases. These cassettes started at the age of 13, when he went to join his his father’s wishes, he enrolled at the National track sees the collaboration of two of Mali’s made them stars back home in Mali and led them uncle and mentor, Ali Farka Toure, in the latter’s Arts Institute in Bamako, where his talent greatest musicians, Ali Farka Toure (guitar) and to Paris, where the records they made reached group, Asco. In the 1980s, Afel formed his own flourished. It was during this period that Toumani Toumani Diabate (kora). Taken from the World the ears of producer extraordinaire, Manu Chao. group, Alkibar (meaning ‘Messenger of the Great Diabate took notice of him and encouraged Ali Circuit album In The Heart Of The Moon, it was A meeting was arranged between them in a Paris River’ in Sonrai) but the collaboration between Farka to accept his son’s chosen path. He finally recorded using a mobile studio in the Hotel studio and Chao offered to produce their next these two musicians lasted some thirty years.