In control

A few posts to round off this disappointing year...
In the first of these I would like to share with you a cassette by Hawa Dramé. Hopefully you have seen (and perhaps even watched) the videos I posted some time ago (here and here). More persistent fans of the classics of Malian music may have even listened to the two (1 & 2) cassettes I have shared*.
This cassette is different from those two cassettes in so far that I strongly suspect the recordings on this cassette were all made in a studio. Consequently the sound is more refined, even to the point where it can be called 'delicate'.

This cassette is linked to strong personal memories of my travels in Mali in the late 1980s. Particularly in the town and region of Ségou this cassette could be heard on almost every street corner, and even in the taxis-brousse. Listening to songs like "Tunkan Te Dambe Do" I can almost taste the red dust again...

The songs in this cassette are all deeply rooted in the bambara musical tradition. One may be tempted to call this music 'simple', - but this doesn't do justice to Hawa Dramé's brilliant performance.
Take the first song on the B-side for example, "Klawa". The song starts off with a ngoni, which is joined by a second ngoni. Hawa opens after 40 seconds, careful at first; but soon she is in total control. This is her song.
The same can be said for all the songs on this cassette.

This is one of these cassettes which can last you a lifetime. I still discover 'new' things in the songs, and find that my reaction to the music varies with age, mood, circumstances. I particularly like the dynamics in these recordings: Hawa Dramé does not go full-blast all the time, but demonstrates that she stay in control in the wonderfully delicate and subtle parts of her songs too.

SYL 8331

* and if you haven't I strongly advise you to do so...

Moriba Kaba

In 1988 he was not one to push himself to the forefront. He hadn't been part of the European tours of the years before, so he was 'outside'.
Guitarist Mama Sissoko had moved himself in the limelight during the concerts in Holland, and - according to some - was rivalling for the position of leader of the orchestra, after the retirement of Amadou 'Armstrong' Bah. But sax player (and hunter) Mamadou Diarra better known as 'Blick' had filled that position, a logical choice given the historic focus on the horn section.
I had met with Toussaint Siané a few months before, and had been spotted by Amadou Bah when he was touring in Ségou on his Yamaha motorcycle while I was trying to get some money out of the bank.

Singer Papa Gaoussou Diarra I didn't meet until I saw Super Biton play at the Hotel GTM on November 19, 1988.

Both public and bandmembers addressed him as Papus, at the the time. Later on, after he had made three solo albums (one of these is posted here), he acquired the surname of "Pèkèlè", after one of his hit songs. But to me he will always be linked to the concert at the Hotel GTM.

A few days ago I received news that he has died on January 25, at the age of just 56.

By way of a tribute to Papus I would like to share with you the song that earned him a place in my list of best musical moments ever.
This song was the opening song of the concert at the Hotel GTM in Ségou. Technicians of Malian television were still installing their equipment to record a few songs, which were to be part of a celebratory emission for the (then) president Moussa Traoré. On guitar is, of course, Mama Sissoko, and the vocal in this Malinké classic is by Papa Gaoussou Diarra.

Moriba Kaba (flac)

Additionally here is a video of a song featuring Papa Diarra, recorded at the Institut Français in Bamako in October 2011. The sound is slightly overmodulated (sorry).

Sullen charm

I am hoping to share more memorable music with you before the end of this year. A year which has gone by too fast, and with too little focus on the good things in life. There is so much to catch up...

You may remember that lovely cassette by Malian singer Molobaly Traoré which I posted some five years ago. If you've missed it, please do yourself a favour and go back and listen to it. Listening to it again the other day I was immediately taken back to the dusty streets of Mali and particularly those of the Ségou region. Real music can do that.

That cassette is from the early days of Molobaly's career. A career that ended far too early, with her death in 2009.
The cassette I would like to share with you in this post is from a few years later. It is clear that some of the innocence which marked her earlier cassette - and which certainly added to its charm - has gone. But other elements have remained: the slight tendency towards sullenness, the faint air of gloom, the strong Bambara repertoire, - now even more accentuated by the use of the sokou (violin). There are no credits on the cassettes, but my guess is that it may well be Zoumana Tereta.

You may recognise the second track, "Laban Kasi". This is a version of a song from Ségou, also performed by 'Tasidoni' Karamoko Keita. "Diandjo", however, is not a version of the song with the same title by Hawa Dramé, although the subject of the song may be the same.

The title of the song "Dely Magnin" confuses me. I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that "dely" is "to pray". But a title "praying is wrong" seems somehow unlikely in a country like Mali. So perhaps it can also mean something else...

If you ask me this is a cassette has not lost its power over the last twenty-two years. In fact, in my personal ratings it has only grown in stature, - as Molobaly Traoré has grown with it. More of this late but great artist in a future post.

IK 010

Dog

While it appears my worst fears with regards to the outcome of the elections here in the Netherlands are slowly becoming reality, with both a continuation of the growing intolerance (of the kind which in the 1970s we used to call "repressive tolerance"), of the so-called 'joys & benefits' of privatisation and/or the deification of The Economy, it appears that elsewhere in the world people are facing even greater and more anti-human challenges.

I read a few days ago (here) that those so-called rebels in northern Mali are considering banning music. That certainly will help their cause and create acceptance with the local population.
Not.

How dumb can one get? In a country that has music, storytelling and rhythm in both its soil and in the blood of every single individual of its population!

So I think it is time for some serious countermeasures.

I will start off with a cunningly devious weapon, seemingly innocent but potentially lethal. A sweet looking woman, a girl even. Lovely smile, modest expression. But a voice like a dagger! Kankou Demba not only has a powerful voice, but matching lyrics. She has a strong social message and doesn't believe in sweet-talk.

"Don't stick your nose in my business, young bambara who doesn't work the land
don't interfere with my affairs for he who has no respect for his people is like a roaming dog
Don't stick your nose in my business, young blacksmith who doesn't fire up the forge
don't interfere with my affairs for he who does not respect his country is like a roaming dog
Don't stick your nose in my business, young Sarakolé who doesn't work as a trader
don't interfere with my affairs for he who has no respect for his people is like a roaming dog
Don't stick your nose in my business, young Peul who doesn't herd cattle on the land
don't interfere with my affairs for he who does not respect his country is like a roaming dog
Don't stick your nose in my business, young griot who doesn't play the guitar
don't interfere with my affairs for he who has no respect for his people is like a roaming dog"*, 

sings Kankou in "I Dabo N'ga Kouma Na" ("You don't have the right to speak"). And with this she refers to a crucial concept in Malian culture and society: fasiya. I suppose this can best described as a mix of legacy, role in society and lineage. Perhaps not a concept which is very 'now' in western society, but one that has a tendency to be a essential element in the understanding of Malian culture. And of Malian griotisme, for that matter.

Kankou Demba's own lineage is apparent from her singing style. She follows in the footsteps of Fanta Damba and Koni Coumaré, with a definite Ségou bambara base.

I have had this great cassette for well over twenty years and it has not tired me. The conviction, the straight-from-the-heart honesty of Kankou's singing should, no must do something to start the process of corroding the iron resolve of those misguided 'fundamentalist rebels'.

SS-34 or SS-34

*translated from the translation (into french) by Cheikh M. Chérif Keïta in "Massa Makan Diabaté, Un Griot mandingue à la rencontre de l écriture".

Bronkoni

Two of the tracks I am sharing with you in this post were on a cassette labelled "Super Biton National 81" which I bought some ten or eleven years ago in Bamako.
It was only last year that I found out I had been misled.

In meeting the musicians from Super Biton in Bamako, last October, I asked them to help me out with the titles of a couple of cassettes attributed to them which I had collected of the last thirty years. Much to my surprise they identified these two tracks, which up to then had been among my favourite "Biton" tracks, as being performed not by Super Biton from Segou, but by Orchestre Bronkoni* from Niono!

The name rang a bell. I had heard of this orchestra in 1988 during my visit to the last of the old style Biennales in Bamako. Two years later I even ventured down to Niono, partly to retrieve some music by this mysterious group, and partly because others had pointed the small town of Niono out as a "hotspot" for traditional Bambara and Sarakolé music. Disappointingly I only found a disproportionate amount of Sudanese music (largely due to the presence of a Sudanese medic, I was told), and some Dutch (agricultural) development aid workers.

In the meantime the name "Bronkoni de Niono" appears to be almost exclusively associated with one artist: Adama Yalomba, who seems to have been touring in Europe (and perhaps also other parts of the world). Apparently he has been a member of this orchestra at one - undefined (!) - point. As seems to be common on the web, all references are indiscriminately copied (and often even without bothering to change the wording).
I am told he is not the only musician with a history with Bronkoni. But I am sure Vieux Paré (video!) is not as well known in the west, so you won't find as many references linking him to the Niono orchestra.

Getting back to the music, even now I have a hard time not associating this music with the legendary Super Biton orchestra. These two songs are of such a high standard, and so brilliantly executed, that it seems hard to imagine them as originating from another source. The opening lines are 100% in the Biton style, with a superb horn section sliding in over the guitar intro. A spine-tingling opening usually only to be found with the music of Biton.
On the other hand it can be seen as an indication of the general - exceptionally high - level of the Malian orchestras, during their 'Golden Years' in the 1970s and 1980s.

Both songs feature elements which can also be found with other Malian orchestras, such as the female impersonation (in "Pary-Mary") and the 'underground' organ (in "Kômon Foli").
But I for one certainly would love to hear more from and by this great orchestra.

Two songs by Bronkoni de Niono

As a foretaste of things to come, I am adding a track which I recorded myself at the Biennale in 1988. The track is by the orchestra representing the district of Bamako: Bamansaba de Bamako. The photo on the right taken during this concert should give you an idea of the circumstances during this concert on September 11, 1988 at the Cinema Rex in the center of Bamako (which no longer exists).
In a future post I hope to write more about the competition of the "Orchestres Modernes" of the 1988 Biennale.

Bamasaba de Bamako - "Danaya Kouma"

* Toussaint Siané wrote "M'Brokoni", and Florent Mazzoleni "Boronkoni", but it's all the same orchestra...

Bamana musow

I am still upset about the brusque (over)reaction by other filehost services to the injust and in my opinion illegal action taken against Megaupload. I sincerely hope the pause at the Global Groove blog will be a temporary one, and that all blogs dedicated to the unearthing of non-western music in general, and African and Latin music in particular, will carry on uncovering and promoting the artists which have not received the global recognition and acclaim they thoroughly deserve.

By way of an in-between post I would like to share with you these two great videos from Mali, both in a way related to Super Biton and Ségou.

The first is by a group fronted by three women, or girls if you like. I know absolutely nothing of this group, apart from the fact that they are (or were) called Balandzan, which at least suggests a connection with Biton (see my earlier post). I discovered this song on a tape with a mix of Malian artists, and immediately fell for the sheer joy and even cheekyness of the three girls. My guess is that they're singing about boys acting tough but not getting things done, which certainly seems an appropriate theme, - and not only in Mali.


The second video is another video by Assa Bagayogo, the daughter of Hawa Dramé, that grand dame of Bambara music. I have no idea why, but I am absolutely crazy about this music, plus that rather awkward, but strangely fitting way of dancing of Assa. It is, in my opinion, just as fitting and natural as the dancing of that girl in the Oumou Sangaré video.
Unfortunately I have just the two tracks, recorded by the RTM in 1990*, by Assa Bagayogo. If anyone has more, please step forward.....


*in my earlier post I suggested this was recorded in 1986. I should have studied the rest of the video better......

Doldrums

Continuing the story of that great Malian orchestra, Super Biton de Ségou, I would like to share with you two cassettes released as 'solo projects' by members of the orchestra.

Both cassettes are from the early 1990s, i.e. the period that can best described as the doldrums, after the stormy European tour and the desastrous last Biennale. The orchestra was in a state of serious decay, which had set in after the retirement of Amadou 'Armstrong' Bah (see also in this post).

Singer Mamadou Doumbia a.k.a. 'Percé' moved to Paris. I understand that he has since retired from music, although I have heard other reports that he performs infrequently at weddings and sumu's* ( or 'soirées'). To many his name is firmly linked to those two 'golden' albums released on the Mali Kunkan label, with evergreens like 'Taasi Doni', 'Nyeleni' and 'Nyangaran Foli'. I have been told that many of these hits were researched and contributed by Percé, but I have to add that my source, Daouda 'Flani' Sangaré, may have been slightly biased, as he and Percé were good friends.

It is clear that this cassette comes nowhere near the level of Super Biton, and the fact that it was recorded in Paris doesn't help either. I am reminded of Amadou Bah's words (in reference to Salif Keita) that you can't expect to remain true to your culture if you go and live somewhere else. The music on this cassette breathes the stress of Parisian life, combined with an undetermined shallowness which tends to prevail in a lot of Parisian recordings of African (and not only Malian) artists.
I think the cassette doesn't do justice to the great singer Percé was when he was a member of Biton.

Camara CK7 047 (or CK 047)

I met Aboubacar Kissa dit 'Cubain' in 1990. He didn't take part in the European tour of 1986, as a result of a dispute with the regional authorities in charge of the orchestra (according to some sources about his drinking habits). I was sitting in a bar in Bamako with Flani, waiting for Zani Diabaté, when Cubain walked in followed by Zani. He and Zani joined us, and we ordered more drinks. After a while a young guy playing an acoustic guitar came up to our table and, recognising Zani, started playing one of the Djata Band's tunes. Badly, I must add. Zani got somewhat annoyed, at which the youngster remarked that his guitar was a bit out of tune. Zani asked to hand it to him and proceeded to play the opening chords of "Farima". "Nothing wrong with the guitar", he noted, and switched to his signature tune "Diabaté Zani". Flani and Cubain soon picked up the vocals.
The young guitarist, by the way, recorded his first album not much later. He, Lobi Traoré, died of a heart attack in June 2010...

I am always reminded of this incident listening to the last track of this cassette. Although named "Maliba" it is, of course, exactly the same song as "Diabaté Zani".
This, unfortunately, does not mean that it gets anywhere near Zani's version. Compared to Percé's Parisian effort this cassette does, however, has some redeeming qualities.
First of all, it was recorded in Mali. And this is manifest, not only by the more relaxed atmosphere of the recordings, but also because of the somewhat makeshift character of the instrumentation. The synthesizer is downright irritating, and annoyingly prominent in all songs.

Positive features of the cassette are Cubain's singing and his choice of songs. He includes three songs from the Biton repertoire: "Diagneba" and "Garaba Mama" (see my earlier post), plus "So Karafe" from the "Nyangaran Foli"/Mali Kunkan lp. The execution of these songs is at times - to put it bluntly - bizarre. "So Karafe" is given an unsettling reggae treatment, while "Garaba Mama" can be recommended as a song to get the last drunks out off a bar at closing time.

Nevertheless, all in all, I prefer Cubain's cassette to Percé's. I was very happy to see Cubain with Super Biton in October last year. That's where he is at his best, as he proved during the concert at the Institut Français (of which I'll post more very soon). Toussaint Siané confirmed that Percé is still in France and has no intention to rejoin Biton, - which is a pity.....

Oumar Kouba OKP 004 (or OKP 004)

I have received a report from Bamako, by the way, that Super Biton were due to play at the Festival "Les Voix de Bamako", but in the end didn't. I am waiting to hear why.

*more about this phenomenon in a future post.

EDIT January 22, 2012: Ngoni sends me this video of the first song (gracias!) and points out that Djeneba Seck is in the chorus:

San revisited

Following a comment on Youtube claiming - with valid arguments - that the video I posted might not be what I stated it was, I have been tracing the friend who copied the video for me (years & years go). Contributing to my doubts regarding the origins of the groupe in the video was my discovery, on one of my VHS-tapes, of two tracks by "Les artistes de San".
This the first of these:


I am sure you agree that this music is quite different from that of the two tracks I posted earlier.

It appears the two videos where mixed up in copying, because the video from the "artistes de San" was labelled "Nioro". And it seems very likely that the two videos I posted earlier are from a cultural ensemble from that town in the Kayes region near the border with Mauretania.

You may note some similarities with the wonderful Safoura Denou and Seny Sangaré I posted earlier.
I can assure you I have not been fiddling with the sound in this video. The echo (after 4'37) was added by the recording technicians of the RTM.
I love those guys....

Mama Sissoko

I would like to start this post with a video of the concert by Orchestre Super Biton. This - in my opinion historic - concert took place at the Institut Français in Bamako on October 24, - i.e. on the evening of the first day of the colloque.

Unaware of any seating arrangments, we (Graeme Counsel, John Collins and me) went and sat down in the middle of the first row. Just before the concert began, the Malian Ministre de la Culture, Hamane Niang, made his entry surrounded by his bodyguards. John, to the right of me, was obviously sitting in the seat that was meant for his excellency. But the minister made no attempt to claim his privilege and sat down next to John, and subsequently proceeded to noticeably (but in a dignified manner) enjoy the concert.

This video was recorded with a smaller camera (hence the movement), with mono audio. I am still trying to correct the slight distortion on the songs I recorded (in stereo) with my other camera. So there is more to come....

The title of this song is "Kara Demba". You may remember my post of the Balandzan lp and Bomama cassette, both of which feature this track. The singers in this video are, from the left, Toussaint Siané, Gaoussou 'Papus' Diarra, Aboubacar 'Cubain' Kissa and - the oldest surviving member of the group - Mamadou 'Coulou' Coulibaly. Left of Toussaint is Mama Sissoko, the lead guitarist and chef d'orchestre.



I hadn't seen Mama Sissoko perform as a member of Biton since 1988, and I have to admit I wasn't very enthousiastic about his solo projects. During the tour of 1986, which brought the orchestra to Holland, his fellow musicians complained about his tendency to prolong the guitar solos. The annoyance was one of the factors which led to chef d'orchestre Amadou 'Armstrong' Bah retiring from the orchestra, which in turn contributed to the decline of the orchestra after 1988. So it is ironical that one of the persons who was in a way co-instrumental to the disappearance of this great orchestra is now playing such a major role in its revival.
And not only through his position as chef d'orchestra.

I was particularly impressed by his very controlled and well-dosed guitar playing. I think that most of the participants of the colloque agreed that his well-tempered* guitar managed to compensate to some extent for the absence of a horn section. Or perhaps I should write: the horn section. And, please, don't get me wrong: I still hope Biton finds some good horn players to fill in the gap left by the demise of the great Amadou Bah and Mamadou 'Blick' Diarra.

I hope I can correct the distortion on the other videos so I can share some more examples of the brilliance of this great Malian orchestra.

In the meantime I would like to share with you two examples of Mama Sissoko's guitar playing from the 1980's.
The first was recorded in Amsterdam on October 2, 1986 by Dave van Dijk for VPRO radio. Super Biton did three concerts in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Especially during the concert in Rotterdam Mama was virtually instoppable, also as a result of the audience reaction.

Tere (Super Biton, Melkweg Amsterdam, October 2, 1986) [FLAC]

The second was recorded by myself two years later in Segou, during a concert for president Moussa Traoré, which was recorded by Malian television. This song was actually a 'prelude' to the concert, - which incidentally was attended by no more than 30 persons, including the technicians of the ORTM. The singer of this version of a Malinke classic is Papa Gaoussou Diarra.

Moriba Kaba (Super Biton, Segou November 19, 1988) [FLAC]

I intend to post the complete recordings of the Segou concert in a future post.


* I used this analogy intentionally, as Mama is trying to play in two tonal scales: the heptatonic of the traditional Malinké music and the 'classic' Malinké guitar and the pentatonic of (amongst others) the traditional Bambara music and the classic Bambara ngoni.

Title (no longer) unknown

The cassette I would like to share with you in this post was a major source of inspiration for me to want to dig deeper into the music of Mali. I copied it from a Malian living in Amsterdam in the mid-1980s. I remember he complained that a lot of Malian music was "talk talk talk". I assumed he meant he was no fan of the "Regard Sur Le Passé" genre. I, however, was new to this phenomenon, and was - and still am - intrigued by the combination of epic and music. The epic part was (and still largely remains) a mystery to me, but the music.... Well, what can I say? It was love at first hearing.

A little later I discovered that some of the tracks of this cassette were also available on lp. The lp being the Bärenreiter-Musicaphon version of a Malian original, by the Orchestre Régional de Ségou. The cassette had "Super Biton" written on it, but it was clear that this was the same ensemble.

To be honest, I still prefer the cassette.
And not just because of the absence of the irritating fake applause on "Da Monzon". But mainly because of the titles on the B-side.

The cassette is undisputable proof of the Greatness of the regional orchestre of Ségou. An orchestra that can come up with a majestic, or even imperial, beginning like the one of the second or the fifth song on the B-side, should have at least a museum to preserve their legacy and to glorify their name.

Unfortunately nothing of the sort has happened to Super Biton. As I reported in an earlier post the orchestra fell apart in the late 1980s, and it is nowadays hard to find any traces of the orchestra in Mali, other than indirect references*.
I hasten to add though that attempts are being made to revive the orchestra, albeit in a leaner version. I'll keep you informed.

At one point I found someone who gave me the titles of the tracks on the B-side, but unfortunately the list got lost somewhere between Bamako and Amsterdam, along with assorted other items of my luggage. Perhaps there is someone who can help us out with these?

As a bonus I add another version of "Bakari Dian", which is from a cassette recorded at my request in 1990 at Radio Mali. It is perhaps hard to recognise, but it is - unless I am very much mistaken - the same version as the one on "Regard sur le passé à travers le présent".

"Bakari Dian" (Malian cassette earlier 1980s)

And finally as an extra bonus I am adding a FLAC version of the Bärenreiter-Musicaphon lp.

BM 30 L 2601

* and while on the subject of videos, you may want to take a look at this 1990 video by the last remnants of Biton. Certainly worthwhile.

EDIT November 13, 2011: I had to change the title of this post, as I have retrieved the names of the songs of this cassette. In meeting the members of the orchestra in Bamako, I was able to sit down with them and listen to the cassette. Toussaint Siané, with the help of the other singers (and especially doyen Mamadou 'Coulou' Coulibaly), wrote down the missing titles. The version with the titles can be found here: Bakari Dian (Malian cassette 198x)

Noblesse

In terms of nobility, of character, of even resolve in defending the traditions she believed in, Hawa Dramé is without a doubt an 'old school' griot.
Born in Niono, Hawa started singing for an audience - not unlike many of the Great Griots from Mali - as a young girl, at the age of six. In an impressive career, which not only brought her national fame through her membership of Mali's Ensemble Instrumental National but also international recognition, she was both a fantastic singer and also a researcher into the vestiges of bambara musical culture. As such she was in turn a source of inspiration for others, - like the Super Biton orchestra, which converted many of the traditional themes (or 'rhythms', as they are often called in Mali) made famous by Hawa Dramé into modern orchestral pieces ("Lefenin", "Sodanso" and others).

In my opinion there is no better proof of Hawa Dramé's talent than this cassette, which consists of songs recorded by the ORTM. At least three of the five songs were originally recorded for television. The first of these, "Djandjon", I have posted earlier. The cassette was released* in the late 1980s, but I am assuming the television recordings were made a few years earlier.

My favourite song of this cassette, and perhaps even my favourite song by Hawa Dramé, is the monumental version of "Mbaoudi". The song starts with a two minute instrumental introduction by a choice selection of Malian instrumentalists, with Bouba Sacko (ngoni) and Tata Bambo's husband Modibo Kouyaté(guitar). Then, Hawa Dramé takes command of the song. She does so in a way which leaves no doubt about who is in charge. She is the singer and the group is there to follow her lead. Although the accompagnement is quite loud, she has no problem staying on top.

In tracks like "Hinebe Delila" and "Djoba" Hawa Dramé shows the value of an aspect which many of the present-day artists from Mali seem to have forgotten. Instead of going 'full-blast' throughout the song, she alternates a more intimate singing style with more forceful passages.
But all her songs have one thing in common: they are all 'posé', with an almost striding rhythm - and a matching regal voice.

Syllart SYL 8384

I have delayed posting this cassette to find a way to add this wonderful twelve minute (i.e. too long for YouTube) video of "Noumou Foli". This ode to the blacksmith patrons (by the name of Ballo) of Hawa Dramé's family is also on the cassette, but breaks off after six minutes. In the video, which is the same recording as the cassette, the full version (well almost....) of this great song can be heard.


* and I have been assured this was done without the consent - or even knowledge - of the artist!

The old lion

When Bazoumana Sissoko died on December 27, 1987, the myths surrounding this legend of Malian culture neither started nor ended. Even his birth is surrounded with myth. He is said to have been born on the day the French general Archinard took the town of Segou (this historical event took place on April 6, 1890), - according to some in Koni in the Tamani cercle of the Segou region, and to others in Seguela which nowadays is in the Koulikoro region (but at the time was also part of the Segou empire). Not only born blind, but also a paralytic from a young age, he nevertheless grew to a monumental status in Malian society, earning him the nickname of Le Vieux Lion. As a Sissoko he was born to become a griot of the nobility, and this destiny he took very seriously. He is a classic example of a traditional griot, and as such refused to 'sell out' praises to anyone. Instead he studied the extensive range of legends and myths of Segou and the bambara epic, using the examples of the heroes of these legends to praise positive human qualities. His limitations he turned into an advantage, by studying the ngoni and becoming the undisputed and inimitable master of this instrument.

He lived through the degradation of the colonial era, through two world wars, experienced the struggle for - and subsequent joy of - independance. At the end of the colonial era, in 1952, he was one of the first 'native' artists to be recorded by Radio Soudan, when he accompanied Koni Coumaré.

In the first decade of Mali's independance Bazoumana evolved to the status of national monument, not just by writing the music of the national anthem of the new state (the lyrics were written by Seydou Badian Kouyaté), but also by his contribution to each and every national event. Very soon in hearing Bazoumana on Radio Mali Malians knew that an important event had taken place or was taking place, whether it was a day of national celebration or of national mourning.

After the military coup d'état in 1968, led by 'Balla' Moussa Traoré, Bazoumana was rarely seen (although his music was still heard on the radio). A passage in one of his rare songs from this era where he sings that a griot can not serve two masters (jatigui) is interpreted as an explanation for his absence from the 'limelight'.

His withdrawal from public life after 1968 did not result in Bazoumana fading from the memories of the Malian people. Instead the myth surrounding Bazoumana grew. It was said that in the heat of a performance he had put his beloved ngoni aside,and the instrument had continued playing on his own*. Even today you can still hear stories (or myths) about Bazoumanaba and his magic ngoni.

When Bazoumana died in 1987, it was said that one of the legendary balanzan trees, which stand at the entrance of the town of Segou and which are symbols of Segou's status as a former empire and craddle of bambara culture, had fallen.


This cassette is a local copy of a recording made by Radio Mali. I have asked several people about the date or year of these recordings, but have been unable to get a unanimous verdict....

FG 1162

* this was actually confirmed to me by (people who I consider to be) very reliable and down-to-earth witnesses.

Balandzan

In an interview in 1986 I asked Amadou Bah (nicknamed 'Armstrong'), who was at the time 'chef d'orchestre' of the Malian orchestra Super Biton National, about the record released on the Tangent label and titled "Balandzan". He told me "Balandzan" was in fact the name of the group. This group from Ségou was a sort of nursery for the Super Biton orchestra; talents were recruited and trained in this nursery until they were ready for the 'real thing'. Also, if for some reason they were short in certain positions within the orchestra they could invite members of "Balandzan" to join them. The lp, explained Amadou Bah, was recorded by members of this group in Abidjan. The mention (on the sleeve) of the name Biton was to indicate not only the orchestra to which they were related, but also the repertoire which they were using. Because all the songs on the album are in fact songs from Biton.

Despite never hearing anything to indicate the contrary I am not convinced that the musicians in this record weren't at the time members of Biton. Could it have been a coincidence that the orchestra played nearly all the songs from this lp when they toured Europe in 1986? And why were members of Biton selling a cassette (on the right) with (on the B-side) the tracks of this lp?
I suspect political motives may play a part in this affair. Biton was the regional orchestra of the Ségou region, and funding came from the regional authorities. I have heard many rumours about the strict rule of regional directors and conflicts between musicians and regional authorities (as in other countries, usually about money).

To be honest, I am inclined to prefer the older repertoire of Biton*. But as Biton is one of my favourite Malian orchestras, this album still features in the top 100 African lp's.

The majority of the songs of this great orchestra are traditionals rearranged for an 'orchestre moderne'. Of course, most of these traditionals were from 'their own' region. The opening track "Sodanso", for example, was taken from a traditional made famous by the great Hawa Dramé. She also sung "Garaba Mama", which is on the cassette Biton were selling in 1986.
The themes of the songs are mostly of a moral nature. Even in praise songs, the emphasis is on the moral aspects. This doesn't mean that controversial subjects are avoided. In "Waracoro" a man rejects the popular 'norm' that a man can only be succesful and get married if he is well-dressed and his appearance is smart. He chooses to stay single and have girlfriends instead. And "Diagneba", on the cassette, is about arranged marriages. "I will marry the one I love" is the message of this song.
"S.T.I." is a song in praise of an organisation, the Sociéte de Transports Internationaux. I am told this song caused some trouble for the orchestra, presumably because the regional authorities hadn't authorised the flattery.
"Kara Demba" is a song about a great Bozo (an ethnical group of fishermen), who knew the profound mysteries and myths of the Bozo culture.

I am adding the cassette Biton were selling during their European tour of 1986. Side B of this cassette has the same tracks as the lp, but side A has five great additions to the songs on the lp. I would like to draw the attention of the connoisseurs to the first track of the cassette, "Bomama", which you may recognise as (the older) "Zani Diabaté" by the Super Djata Band.

Tangent TAN LP 7008
Bomama (cassette 1986)

As a bonus I would like to add this 'teaser' of a French documentary about the great Malian orchestras. This contains recent footage of members of Super Biton in Ségou, including Toussaint Siané, Mama Sissoko and Aboubacar Kissi 'Cubain'.


*I hate to keep referring to future posts, but I can assure you I will get round to this.

PS: The photo at the beginning of this post was taken by Isabelle Vigier at the 1986 Biennale in Bamako, and shows - from left to right - Toussaint Siané, Mama Sissoko, Amadou 'Armstrong' Bah and Mamadou 'Blick' Diarra.

Friends & family

To tell you the truth, I am stuck. Having converted another great video of Hawa Dramé from tape to digital format, I found the result is just over twelve minutes. YouTube has a limit, however, of nearly eleven minutes. And I simply refuse to cut the video in two.

Perhaps there is someone who can point me in the direction of an alternative that will accept a twelve minute clip.

Meanwhile, I have two Hawa Dramé related items. First, here is a video of Hawa Dramé's daughter Assa Bagayogo.
I just love this pentatonic Bambara music. The video was recorded (probably in 1986) by Malian television in Ségou, the heart of Bambara country, and everything about it is authentic, including the dancing and the clothes worn.


The second item in this post is a cassette by Hawa Dramé's friend (and I have heard rumours that at one point he was more than that..) and accompagnateur Ganda Fadiga.
I have some recordings of him accompanying Hawa Dramé, but I prefer this cassette titled "Economie", which was originally released in Mali, but rereleased in Paris. I can't tell you what his message is with regards to the economy, but I am sure it is sound advice...

Camara C.K.7 006

Sadio

Sadio Kouyaté was born in Segou (Mali) into a family of griots, and started singing at the age of 7 under the guidance of her grandmother, Penda Danté, who herself was a legendary singer and known as "la djeli de Ségou".
With her grandmother she started singing locally, at baptismal ceremonies. In 1984 she went abroad for the first time, to Abidjan and later to Lomé. She went to France in 1989 and decided to stay, making frequent trips to the US and other countries.

A few years ago, in 2005, she has returned to Mali, and has married to Sekouba Kouyaté, musical entrepreneur and brother of singer Mah Kouyaté No.2. Rumour has it that this marriage is on the rocks, - and Sadio (who is nearing or just over 50 now) on the prowl....

This cassette is from her days in Mali, when she was a force to be reckoned with. It contains six superb songs, sung with great passion and conviction. Personal favourites are "Santolema" and the world-class "Nata".

Syl 8346

To give you an idea of her stage performance, here is video - also from the 1980s - of Sadio performing in Segou. Vocally perhaps not as strong as the songs on the cassette, but interesting also for the older men who enter the stage to perform their traditional dances. I am sure this can be an eye-opener to those who think African dancing is all about flapping your arms and jumping about....


PS: Sadio has younger sister, Yah Kouyaté, who was also introduced into djeliya by her grandmother...

Souraka djeli

Her paternal ancestor, named Nogo Tomo Dramé, was "Souraka Djeli" originating from Nioro. He came to settle in Fala, in Nogales near Kolongo where the chiefs where the Samaké. Nogo Tomo and his descendants put themselves at the service of these noble Samaké by becoming their griots. However, their "Diatigui" (hosts) are the blacksmiths Ballo to whom Hawa Dramé paid tribute in the famous song "Numu foli". Her father, Tiéna Dramé, was a mechanical workman at the Office of Niger and her mother, Doussou Koné, female griot singer of the line of the Diarra of Segou (descendant of Da Monzon). (mali-music.com)

Hawa Dramé, who died in 1996, was known in Mali as a djeli without frills. A humble and sincere person who was above all a defender of the authentic Bambara rhythms and culture. The absence of jewelry and expensive clothes distinguished here from other griots and strengthened her ties with the rural communities where she was adored.
She spent only a few years in the Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali, but definitely made her mark in that time.

Here is a video featuring Hawa Dramé, accompanied by an small ensemble of some of Mali's top instrumentalists. It is one of the few live performance recorded outside, in the field. I copied the video in the late 1980s, but I assume the recording (by Malian television) was made a few years earlier.

PS: "Souraka" = "Moor" or "Maure"

Biton's last

The story of the Super Biton orchestra from Ségou has always been closely linked to that of the Biennales and its predecessor, the Semaines Nationales. The orchestra represented the Segou region in the category "orchestre moderne" at all the Semaines and Biennales (although a few times 'hors compétition'). I will come back to Biton's history in a later post.

But at the very last of the old style Biennales in 1988 Super Biton disappointed and came nowhere near winning. Band members sought excuses and blaimed the lack of investment in equipment and instruments. The general opinion of the public attending the concert at the Cinéma Rex in Bamako was that Biton had exaggerated the flattery. Too much "Président Moussa Traoré is a great guy".

Personally I think it was the absence of Amadou 'Armstrong' Bah, who had retired as 'chef d'orchestre' after the European tour of 1987. He was the invariable quantity in the history of Biton.

Biton released their last cassette (which they recorded in Abidjan) at the same Biennale. Although enjoyable, it's certainly not their best.

EDIT April 12, 2015: The link has been updated.