Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Bassekou Kouyate (Buh-say-koo Koo-yah-tay), a griot from Mali, leads a six-member ensemble showcasing the ngoni – a traditional West African string instrument often compared to a lute – with African percussion: calebasse, yabara, and tama. His wife, Amy Sacko, is the group's lead vocalist. Although Kouyate's family griot tradition (storytellers) dates back to the 13th century Sundiata Keita empire, he is very much an artist of today, collaborating with contemporary pop musicians U2, Carlos Santana, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabaté, and Youssou N'Dour. His most recent recording is entitled I Speak Fula. Taj Mahal has called him a genius....

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Bassekou Kouyate (Buh-say-koo Koo-yah-tay), a griot from Mali, leads a six-member ensemble showcasing the ngoni – a traditional West African string instrument often compared to a lute – with African percussion: calebasse, yabara, and tama. His wife, Amy Sacko, is the group's lead vocalist. Although Kouyate's family griot tradition (storytellers) dates back to the 13th century Sundiata Keita empire, he is very much an artist of today, collaborating with contemporary pop musicians U2, Carlos Santana, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabaté, and Youssou N'Dour. His most recent recording is entitled I Speak Fula. Taj Mahal has called him a genius.
Bassekou Kouyate – lead ngoni
Amy Sacko – lead vocal
Moustafa Kouyate – ngoni bass
Mahamadou Tounkara – yabara, tama (percussions)
Abou Sissoko – ngoni medium
Moctar Kouyate – calebasse
http://bassekoukouyate.com/

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