[Habib Koité] sings his stories with soothing amiability, inviting you in, beguiling you with the implicit notion that the song he sings may be your history too... The telepathy among the members of Bamada is what you might expect of a sextet that has experienced few personnel changes over 20 years. Live, over the elastic braid of their interplay, Koité's voice alternately smoothes and scuffs the lyrics as if brushing them with suede. He's a global griot for the 21st century. (Britt Robson, Minnpost.com)
The must-see world music show of the summer, and a great kickoff to Twin Cities Pan African Festival! Malian guitarist and singer Habib Koité is one of Africa's most beloved and popular musicians. Featured in last year's Acoustic Africa tour along with Vusi Mahlasela and Dobet Gnahore, this show will be a whole evening's worth of Habib's high-energy, infectious rhythms, and sheer exuberance. His band Bamada features traditional instruments such polyphonic hunter's horns, alongside balafón (wooden xylophone), and n'goni (a Malian lute), and is the perfect complement for Habib's fluid kora-inspired guitar and soulful, earthy vocals. Lots of room for dancing!
Devoted fans waited six long years for Habib to return to the studio to record the follow up to his critically acclaimed 2001 release Baro. The result, Afriki, finally appeared late in 2007, and was well worth the wait. The overarching theme of Afriki, which means "Africa" in the Malian Bambara language, is about the strengths and challenges of the African continent. "People here in Africa are willing to risk death trying to leave for Europe or the USA, but they are not willing to take that risk staying to develop something here in Africa," says Habib. "Life can be really good or really bad wherever you live. People need to understand that. Even though Mali is poor, we still have good quality of life: You can walk outside and smile and someone will smile back. I have thought about it a lot, and I am not convinced poor countries necessarily have a worse quality of life then rich countries." Many of the lyrics on the album follow traditional themes. In the recent tradition of nation-building songs, "Barra," whose title means "Work," calls on farmers, fishermen, animal breeders, and tradesmen of Mali to "get organized, get up, and get to work."
Habib draws on styles from the different regions of Mali, rather than solely on the music of his particular area as most Malian musicians do. Habib has gained a strong fan base by integrating the rock and folk sounds of the Western world, without watering down his cherished Malian roots. Habib descends from a line of griots, traditional troubadors who provide wit, wisdom and entertainment and his charisma and magnetism translates across cultures. Habib is transposing his role of modern-day griot into a facilitator helping fellow Africans survive in the Western-dominated, industrialized world.
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Tickets on sale now from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Tikcetweb.
