fR316 PAGE 23 25/8/09 17:08 Page 1
23 f
root salad
12 shots from the fRoots
Rocket Launcher
a dozen leading questions to fire at Bassekou Kouyate
If you were given the funds to organise a What was your own best ever gig?
concert bill, who would the artists be?
The one that really excited me
I’ve been lucky enough to play with was the first concert of our very first
many absolutely great musicians, so here is foreign tour at the Lisbon Africa
a selection of those I know and have Festival in 2007. We had been
worked with over the years and who rehearsing for years, but still we car-
would be sure to give an audience a won- ried on. I was telling people what to
derful concert: Taj Mahal, Damon Albarn, do, how to play, because I could
Amy Sacko, my brother Toumani Diabate, hear the sound I wanted in my head.
Vieux Farka Toure, Kasse Mady Diabate, We made the album Segu Blue, and
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tiken Jah Fakoly, then the festival got us on the road,
Amadou & Mariam, and of course, all the and the very first concert was a
Ngoni Ba musicians. There’s also a surprise great success: we had the sound I
choice: Juan Mario Cuellar, the Spanish had been looking for and the public
Colombian classical guitar player with liked it. So we saw, or rather heard,
whom I did a recent project in Bamako. I the light after all our efforts and
started out adapting the ngoni to classical knew we had a future to play for.
Spanish pieces (by Albeniz, etc.) and ended
And what was your worst?
up recruiting Juan Mario to be a part of
Easily the worst was this year, in
Ngoni Ba for the evening.
Madrid when we gave a concert that
Which totally obscure record do you most
made me ashamed. We didn’t have
treasure and would like more people to
our own engineer, there was no time
know about?
for a soundcheck and the sound
There’s no question here: it would be equipment was all geared to guitars.
a record that we’d have to make of music The ngoni is not a guitar, so this just
by my father Moustapha Kouyate, the does not work, and I am really sorry
greatest ngoni player of his day. Like most for all the audience who had to sit
traditional musicians of his generation, through the result.
before CDs were invented, he refused to
What’s the professional
make a vinyl record because he feared it as
achievement you’re most proud of?
an instrument of Europeans to make a
Creating the modern ngoni
claim to immortality, presuming to main-
sound, and knowing it works! Even
tain his fame after his death.
less than ten years ago, nobody
Around independence in the early
believed you could make the ngoni
1960s, there was great interest in tradi-
the centre of an instrumental group.
tional music among students. The first
Now we have proved you can, peo-
sound engineers at the new Radio Mali
ple come to our gigs and enjoy the
collected music throughout the country
result: it makes them want to dance.
Photo: Jak Kilby
and we’ve been able to put together some
And in addition, they buy the album
of my father’s pieces from some of these
and we hope they will enjoy the new would stay in the village for months, per-
early recordings, including Njaro, Poyi
album, I Speak Fula, too! fecting his separate repertoires for four
(later to become Segu Blue on my own
album), Garabaré, Sékélaré and I Wuli – I
What’s the most embarrassing thing you
social and ethnic groups: the Fula, the
can assure you it’s a real treasure trove.
ever did in public?
Dogoramé (cattle traders), the Bamana and
the Soninké. Then he would set out on a
What was the best live gig you ever saw?
Break a string on the ngoni right in the
tour of one of their areas, and would come
You know, I love all live performances
middle of a performance, and during a solo
back loaded with rewards: once the Fula
because they all involve somebody’s cre-
in the latest African Express concert with
brought 12 cattle to the village for him.
ativity and personal effort, so I don’t judge
Damon Albarn in Paris in August 2009. That
between them. I’ve been lucky enough to
is when it really helps to have a professional
Who was the last-but-one musician or
see and play with many great and famous
partner: my wife Amy came to the fore and
singer you lusted after?
musicians. But an exciting recent perfor-
sang to cover my embarrassment, allowing Actually the last and the last-but-one
mance was given by the younger genera-
me to get to the back of the stage. are the same: my wife and professional
tion of Kouyates, who have formed their
Which song or piece of music would you
partner, Amy Sacko!
own band: Ngoni Ba Junior. It was wonder-
most like to have written yourself? If you had a rocket launcher, who or what
ful to see these new creative talents start- A song by Ali Farka Toure, called
would be the target, and why?
ing out and beginning to find their own Dofana. The recording is sung by Afel The target would be anyone who
sound and dance movements. Bocoum, and Ali’s guitar accompaniment wages war or promotes racism. Why can’t
And what was the worst?
is sublime.
they all just support peace and let people
No! You can’t ask that question of a
Who was the first musician or singer you get on with their lives?
griot! I’m here to sing people’s praises, not
were inspired to emulate?
Bassekou will be touring the UK in
to criticise, and anyway I can’t remember My father. His skill as a musician was a late October in support of his new album I
thinking any performance was really bad legend and he taught me to play to my own Speak Fula, see news section this issue.
as long as it involved creativity. standards and not just to make a living. He www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate F
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