• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Spellbinding Music

Genre-bending & spine-tingling

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Contact

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba: Jama ko

July 22, 2013 By guillaume

Bassekou Kouyate (b. 1966) is a Malian musician who burst onto the World music scene in 2007 with the international release of Segu Blue. Over the years, he has also played and toured extensively with Toumani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure and Taj Mahal. Jama Ko is the musician’s third recording released in January 2013.

Bassekou Kouyate’s music hinges on the sound of the ngoni lute, the West African string instrument which is considered to be one of the likely ancestors of the modern banjo. Hi own band “Ngoni ba” boasts four different ngoni players including himself on a seven-string electrified ngoni he designed. This unusual formation imparts Bassekou Kouyate’s music a unique pulsating and expressive sound.

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba - "Jama ko" (2013)
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba – Jama ko (2013)

Led by the powerful singing of his own wife Amy Sacko, the extraordinarily upbeat atmosphere of the title track “Jama ko” (meaning “big gathering of people”) must be placed in the context of the political unrest that shook Mali in early 2012:

“The day we started recording the album, the coup d’état started […] Soldiers were firing in the air in the next street. They took over the television station, then the looting started. In that situation you can do two things. You can give up, or you can say, what the hell, let’s carry on. We carried on.” The Telegraph

http://bassekoukouyate.com/

You May Also Like:

  • Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
    Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
  • Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita: Clychau Dibon
    Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita: Clychau Dibon
  • Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi: There is no Other
    Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi: There is no Other
  • Songhoy Blues: Music in Exile
    Songhoy Blues: Music in Exile
  • Sudan Archives/Sink
    Sudan Archives/Sink
  • Dawn Landes & Piers Faccini: Desert Songs
    Dawn Landes & Piers Faccini: Desert Songs

Filed Under: Contemporary Tagged With: Bassekou Kouyate, fusion, ngoni, songwriting

Subscribe to Spellbinding Music

Never miss a post and subscribe to Spellbinding Music via email. Receive weekly and enchanting musical updates straight into your inbox - and it's free!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About

Spellbinding Music is a blog which curates contemporary, modern classical, roots, electronic, jazz and folk music…and everything in between. ... [Continue Reading]

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Read this week

Follow via Email

Search

Recent Posts

William Susman – A Quiet Madness (2021)

William Susman: Collision Point/A Quiet Madness

Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun (2020)

Matthew Halsall: Salute to the Sun

A.G: Lonea (2020)

A.G: Lonea

Saffronkeira with Paolo Fresu: In Origine: The Field of Repentance (2020)

Saffronkeira with Paolo Fresu: In Origine: The Field of Repentance

Paolo Fresu & Daniele Di Bonaventura - Altissima Luce (2019)

Paolo Fresu & Daniele Di Bonaventura: Altissima Luce

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O’Brien - Solas an Lae (2020)

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O’Brien: Solas an Lae

From the Archives

Vanessa Wagner: Inland

Nadah El Shazly - Ahwar (2017)

Nadah El Shazly: Ahwar

Brigid Mae Power - Head Above the Water (2020)

Brigid Mae Power: Head Above The Water

Jherek Bischoff - Cistern (2016)

Jherek Bischoff: Cistern

Sly & Robbie meet Nils Petter Molvær - Nordub (2018)

Sly & Robbie meet Nils Petter Molvær: Nordub

Anna Mieke - Idle-Mind (2019)

Anna Mieke: Idle Mind

Slow Moving Clouds - Starfall (2018)

Slow Moving Clouds: Starfall

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Spellbinding Music | Website by Pagecrafted

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT