Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba at The Triple Door on March 16, 2010

by Larry on January 11, 2010

“The back of their new album shows Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba standing on the street with the legendary train station of Bamako behind them. In the 80s a young Bassekou Kouyate played a concert there together with members of the famous Rail Band. During the show Bassekou suddenly stood up and walked up to the front of the stage. For the first time a ngoni player strapped his instrument over his shoulder like an electric guitar and was playing a solo standing up. The audience was stunned. Traditionalists even started a debate after the concert about whether this young man was allowed to change the style of playing ngoni. What was new then has long become common practice in Mali today.”

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 Jonathan E. January 28, 2010 at 10:45 pm

Oh! YES!!!

I wish I could speak fula — but I’ll be there to listen.

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