If you happen to be in Hawaii, you can now hear New Sounds on Sunday nights at 8PM, local time on Hawaii Public Radio 1 (KHPR/KKUA/KANO).
KHPR 88.1 Honolulu, KKUA 89.7 Wailuku,
KANO 91.1 Hilo, and Waimea 94.7
http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org
To our new listeners, Aloha.
Pretty much a New Sounds’ greatest hits here (Volans’ “White Man Sleeps,” Ingram Marshall’s Fog Tropes II, and Gavin Bryars “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” as performed by ACME. Full download from NYCTAPER.com. Thanks!
Treasure troves of new music, because the staff just can’t wait for Friday’s monthly new releases show.
Tuesday jams here at the New Sounds staff’s desk:
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba return with a new single, new album and live dates
Mali’s ngoni ace returns. After his celebrated debut album Segu Blue and the Grammy nominated follow up I speak fula, hundreds of concerts all over the globe, an appearance headlining the AfroCubism project and, just a few months ago, stunning appearances at the latest Africa Express events performing with Sir Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn and many others, Bassekou Kouyate is back with his new album.
Jama ko means ‘a big gathering of people’. It is the first song to be released from the forthcoming album of the same title. It is a call for unity, peace and tolerance in a time of crisis: no matter who you are, let us come together and enjoy life, and celebrate the true spirit of Mali.
“Jama ko, c’est pour tout le monde”, says Bassekou Kouyate, the celebrated ngoni player, explaining the title of his third album, “There are over 90% Muslims in Mali, but our form of Islam here has nothing to do with a radical form of Sharia: that is not our culture. We have been singing praise songs for the Prophet for hundreds of years. If the Islamists stop people music making they will rip the heart out of Mali.”
The recording of Jama ko took place in March 2012 in Mali’s capital Bamako. It was recorded with an entirely new line-up including Bassekou’s two sons Madou and Moustafa Kouyate, ngoni ace Abou Sissoko and a number of other young talented musicians from Bamako. It became political by accident. In the afternoon of the first day in the studio the military overthrew the president Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT). It was a shock for Bassekou as the former president was a great supporter of his music. Somewhere between power cuts, fuel shortages and the uncertainty of daily curfews the recording went on. Meanwhile the situation in the north of Mali was getting worse and worse by the day. In the studio a musical answer started taking shape: Instead of keeping quiet Bassekou plugged in his wah wah pedal, cranked up his amp and let loose: Ne me fatigue pas: don’t wear me out. You can hear the heartbeat of Malian music pulsing in this music.
Kasse Mady Diabate is featured on the Latin-flavoured Sinaly singing about Sinaly Diarra, a Bamana king famous for resisting forced Islamisation in the 19th century. Kele Magni is a duet between Amy Sacko and Khaira Arby from Timbuktu, calling for peace in Mali. Zoumana Tereta praises the cotton farmers of Mali in Mali Koori with a voice that takes you back into the time of the great Bambara warriors. Jama ko also features an incredible duet between Bassekou and Taj Mahal (vocals / electric guitar) and ends with the touching song Moustafa by Bassekou’s son Moustafa dedicated to his parents thanking them for all they have done for him.
Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Hotel 2 Tango) recorded the album in Mali and ended up mixing and co-producing most of it back home in Montreal. Andrew Barr (Barr Brothers) and Max Weissenfeldt (Poets of Rhythm) added drums. Mocky Salole (Feist, Jamie Lidell) contributed to the production and played organ and drums.
Jama ko digital single out now 19 November 2012
Jama ko album out in the UK on 28 January 2013
Live in the UK: 26 January 2013 - Barbican, London + 27 January - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections (Sahara Soul triple bill with Tamikrest and Sidi Touré)
Watch preview video:
http://youtu.be/lfU4rxQL4Dw
Jama Ko
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/outhererecords/bassekou-kouyate-ngoni-ba-jama
YouTube: http://youtu.be/lfU4rxQL4Dw
Bassekou Kouyate online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bassekoukouyate
Twitter: @Bassekou http://twitter.com/Bassekou
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate
Out Here Records online:
http://www.outhere.de
http://www.outhere.de/jamako
http://www.emusic.com/album/goran-bregovic/champagne-for-gypsies/13825248/
Brass music with special guests (as performed by the crushed velvet-costumed Goran Bregovic) is the afternoon soundtrack!
Just as we were getting somewhere through the piles, there is another bin of mail! #grandjuryduty #twoweeksnotontour
All of the mail! Two weeks’ worth. Grand jury duty was a hoot, but the “staff” is so glad to be back.
