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National Dates - March 2007 (This article was originally published in Rhythms magazine) Africa has never been short of gifted musicians, and the land-locked country of Mali has continually produced more than its share of stellar superstars. To an impressive list that already includes Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate and Oumou Sangare, we must now add the name of Mali's latest star, singer/guitarist Habib Koite. Koite comes from a noble line of Khassonke griots, the traditional oral historians/ musicians of the Kayes region in West Mali. His grandfather played the kamele n'goni, a traditional four-string instrument associated with hunters. But although Koite's parents were both musically talented (his mother was a fine singer), they chose not to take up the ancestral griot role. In fact parental disapproval almost diverted the young Habib from a musical career. "But I fell in love with the guitar when I was 14," says Koite. "I played with my friends all day, purely for the love of the music - Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, all the rock bands - and the American soul of James Brown. We'd listen and try to play the sounds we heard." Enrolling at Mali's National Institute of Arts in the capital Bamako, Koite's musical interests deepened further. "I learned about traditional music from Mali and European classical music, but I still played rock at night. Americans from the Peace Corps would come in, and if I didn't know a song they'd give me the chords and I 'd go home and learn it. I didn't speak English then, but I liked the rhythm of the words, so I learned to sing phonetically." After completing his own studies at the Institute, Koite began teaching guitar and music theory there himself. He formed his own band Bamada ("mouth of the crocodile") in '88, and quickly became one of the most popular acts in Bamako's evolving club scene. Rather than competing head-on though with Mali's powerhouse electric guitarists, Koite developed his own acoustic-based style. "My way of playing comes from my training in classical guitar, where I learned to pick with all the fingers of my right hand. Combining this with my research into traditional music has given my playing this certain colour. I want to keep the traditional element, but I want something new too, so I experiment with different sounds, different textures." In '91 Koite and Bamada won first prize at the Voxpole Festival in France, followed in '93 by the prestigious Discovery Award from Radio France International. A string of hits back home, including the catchy 'Cigarette A Bana' (The cigarette is finished) and 'Nanale' (The Swallow), solidified his reputation throughout West Africa, and led to Koite's debut album Muso Ko. Over the past decade Koite and his band have toured extensively in Europe, the USA and Canada, appearing at many of the world's major festivals, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival and WOMAD. He has toured alongside The Art Ensemble of Chicago, bluesman Eric Bibb, and Mali's most celebrated female vocalist Oumou Sangare, as well as attracting high praise from Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, both of whom have visited him in Mali. Habib Koite & Bamada's most recent albums, Ma Ya (1999) and Baro (2001) (Putumayo/MRA), both attracted strong critical acclaim and have sold well worldwide. Habib also appeared as a special guest on Bonnie Raitt's most recent album, "Silver Lining". He has a new album planned for release in 2004. Koite's
musical palette ranges from beautiful Malian melodies and Cuban-influenced
grooves, through to blues and flamenco-flavoured songs. In addition
to his remarkable guitar work and intimate singing style, the
Bamada band is more than capable of pumping out great dance music
too. Featuring the 75 year old balafon legend Keletigui Diabate
(who has performed with Lionel Hampton, Salif Keita and Toumani
Diabate), the band also includes harmonica wiz Boubacar Sidibe,
and the powerful rhythm section of percussionist Mahamadou Kone,
drummer Souleyman Ann and bassist Abdoul Wahab Berthe.
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