Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of thengoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa. He is avirtuoso, innovator, stronghold of tradition all at the same time.
After his last two celebrated albums Jama ko and BaPowerthat went moreàin a rock direction, Bassekou Kouyate and his band Nogni banow return with the more subtle and rootsy album: _ÇÜMiri’ (dream in Bamana).Miri is an album about love, friendship, family and true values in times ofcrisis. Miri means dream or contemplation in bamana. On Miri Bassekou travelsback to his hometown Garana, a small village at the banks of the Niger river.The instrumental song Miri captures that feeling. Bassekou sits at the banks ofthe Niger far away from the noise, trafficjams and political turmoil of Bamakoand thinks about life.
He has collaborated with many musicians in and outside ofMali: He has shared the stages with the likes of Youssou N’Dour, Ali FarkaToure, Bela Fleck, The Kronos Quartet, Taj Mahal, Eliades Ochoa, Damon Albarn,Michael League_Ǫ He was one of the key musicians on Ali Farka Toure’s posthumousalbum ‘Savane’ which was released July 2006, played in the Symmetric trioalongside Toumani Diabate (kora) and was part of Taj Mahal’s ‘Kulanjan’project. He won several BBC Awards for his celebrated debut album ‘Segu Blue'(Outhere Records). Was Grammy nominated for the follow up ‘I speak fula'(Outhere Records) and played hundreds of concerts all over the globe, sharingthe stage with musicians from Paul McCartney to John Paul Jones, Bono &many many other.
“Ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate can make notes bendlike light rays in the desert heat.” Time Out magazin
