African Music night with music by Ali Farka Touré, Boubacar Traoré, Ismaël Lo, Oliver (Tuku) Mtukudzi and Tinariwen.
Ali Farka Touré was a singer and guitarist from Mali. He is considered to be one of the most influential African musicians. His music is a mix between traditional Malian music and North American and British blues.
CD Ali Farka Touré, Radio Mali (1996).
In the late fifties Boubacar Traoré learned to play the guitar from his older brother who studied music in Cuba. He initially worked as a tailor in Bamako but could be heard a lot on the radio in the sixties. His first album Mariama was released in 1990. Traoré got internationally known and toured through Europe, Africa and North America. The Belgian writer Lieve Joris wrote about him in her book Mali blues (1996).
CD Boubacar Traoré, Maciré (2000).
Ismaël Lô is a versatile singer and artist and he plays the guitar and harmonica. He is from Dogondoutchi in Niger. In the 1970’s Lô studied at the School of Art in Dakar and later joined the popular Super Diamono. He left the group in 1984 to start a solo career. The album Tajabone became a success in the European charts. The album was the start of his international career.
CD Ismaël Lo, The balladeer – The Best of Ismaël Lo (2001)
Oliver (Tuku) Mtukudzi is a guitar virtuoso from Zimbabwe who already has a long and rich record in his country. He started to perform in 1977 in the Wagon Wheels, a band in which Thomas Mapfumo also played. He later started a solo career. He is an amazing guitarist and story teller. In 2010 the album Mtukudzi – The Tuku Years (1998-2002) was released.
The of Mali originated company Tinariwen was put together in 1980, in a region of the Sahara. The group was complemented with a younger generation musicians in the 90’s. The band recorded all of its old albums in the desert. The political climate in Mali forced bands like Tinariwen to flee the country. Nevertheless the members of Tinariwen wanted to record the sixth album Emmaar in a desert. It turned out to be California. In the America desert landscape of Joshua Tree Park the Malian recorded the album with American guest musicians like guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but eventually still preserves its Malian desert authenticity.
CD Tinariwen, Emmaar (2014).
In 2014 the compilation CD ‘The Rough Guide To African Blues’ released. You may listen to this collection of African blues till 7 o’clock.
CD The Rough Guide to African Blues 2014.
