Rokia Traoré, progressive Afro rock

On her fifth album, Beautiful Africa, Rokia Traoré infuses intimate poems with energetic rock, profound blues and some rare heart and soul. RFI Musique interviewed the Malian artist.

Malian music

Cheick Tidiane Seck, fighting for a cause

The militant campaigner for union and peace in Mali, Cheick Tidiane Seck, is back with Guerrier, an album recorded by the pianist from start to finish and in which he takes a firm stand against one-way globalization. RFI Musique met up with the musician, who is currently organizing a series of conference-debates and concerts for his homeland.

Malian music

Salif Keïta’s electro cool

Salif Keïta’s new album, Talé, put together with Gotan Project’s Philippe Cohen-Solal in Bamako, moves away from a pure “club” sound and takes its listeners into electro lands. RFI Musique spoke with the Malian musician.

Malian music

Ballaké Sissoko, kora guru

Could anyone sing about peace better than the Malian Ballaké Sissoko? His crystalline, refreshing kora playing has just what it takes to bring hope to troubled times. With peace and dignity, Ballaké Sissoko tells his melodic story on At Peace, recorded with a helping hand from friends, including the cellist and producer Vincent Segal.

Malian music

Rokia Traoré’s London hat trick

In the run-up to the Olympic games in the British capital, Malian singer Rokia Traoré is set to feature at the Barbican Centre for three nights performing creations specially devised for the event. RFI Musique met up with the singer.

Malian music

Amadou & Mariam

The Malian twosome Amadou & Mariam are back with a new album, Folila. With its roots firmly planted in Mali, the collection takes added inspiration from some of the couple’s international alliances, and in particular Français Bertrand Cantat.

Malian music

Khaira Arby, Timbuktu diva

The singer from northern Mali, Khaira Arby, has a status on a level with Oumou Sangaré in her homeland. Despite a keen following in the United States, in France she remains largely unknown. Not for long though, since she is scheduled to perform at the Babel Med Festival in Marseille at the end of March.

Malian music

Super Biton de Ségou, an everlasting legend

More than twenty years after Mali’s artistic and cultural biennales hit the dust, we salute one of their most brilliant offspring: Super Biton de Ségou, decreed best band from 1970 to 1976. Still active, Super Biton continues to be the pride and joy of its hometown. RFI Musique met up with bandleader and eminent guitarist, Mama Cissoko.

Report

Festival sur le Niger in Ségou

Gathering 30,000 festival-goers over five days, the Festival sur le Niger, which has just run from 14 to 19 February, is a popular Malian event that places the town of Ségou on the country’s cultural map and puts the focus on local music.

Malian music

Makan Badjé Tounkara

As well as playing with an array of Mali’s contemporary music-makers, Makan Badjé Tounkara has carved out a space to share his own stories, which he narrates under his name in a second album, Sodjan. His academic yet modern playing of the ngoni, the string instrument played at the royal court for centuries, leads him irresistibly into the land of the blues.

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French chanson

Patricia Kaas celebrates Edith Piaf

In the run-up to the fifty-year anniversary of Edith Piaf’s death, Patricia Kaas kicks off a long list of celebrations with Kaas chante Piaf, a tribute album recorded with the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Abel Korzeniowski, and devotes a whole stage show to the “Little Sparrow”.