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Banjo Adventurer
Bela Fleck travelled around Africa with his banjo and
recording gear. Banning Eyre hears how this had a
notable effect on his philosophy of music making,
also winning him a 2010 Grammy.
T
his January, as the world’s most Sascha Paladino and also titled Throw think more of it sunk in after the trip than
eclectic and adventurous banjo Down Your Heart, has won critical acclaim while I was there.” This shows. By the time
player Bela Fleck was finishing and impressive circulation for a music doc- Fleck toured the US last spring and sum-
up the design for his upcoming umentary. This winter, Fleck is mounting mer with Toumani Diabate, Vusi
second CD of African collabora- his second Africa Project tour in the United Mahlasela, Anania Ngoglia and Malagasy
tions, he ran into a problem. Back in 2005 States, some 30 dates involving Kouyate’s guitar maverick D’Gary, he had become
in Mali, he had recorded a song with ngoni sensational group, Ngoni Ba, and a lesser- adept at shifting styles and modes on a
maestro Bassekou Kouyate and his wife known but remarkable traditional musi- dime, and diving into spontaneous and
Amy Sacko. It was a beautiful, moody tra- cian from Tanzania, Anania Ngoliga. Four surprisingly deep exchanges with each
ditional piece, with delicate string inter- years after he first ventured to Africa, and artist over the course of a two-and-a-half-
play and a raspy, mesmerising vocal from despite intervening tours and recordings hour concert.
Sacko. The problem was that nowhere in with jazz fusion greats, Indian classical
Kouyate is thrilled to be getting his
Fleck’s notes did the song’s title appear. musicians, Central Asians, and his own
chance to take the stage with Fleck. From
Kouyate was unreachable, on his way band The Flecktones, Fleck’s fascination
the moment they met in Mali, these two
north to Timbuktu to play at the Festival In with and dedication to making music with
were instant jamming buddies, throwing
The Desert. It took playing the piece over Africans has not ebbed.
ideas at each other, parrying, puffing and
the telephone to members of a US-based
“I was in Africa for five weeks,” he laughing together, even though they could
network of Mande griot musicians, and
recalled, “but I feel like I’m still in Africa scarcely converse in words. “Bela is a master
even sending an MP3 to Mali, to ultimately
four years later. Since we went, we have of American music,” Kouyate said recently.
determine the song’s name, Kandjo, in
been editing the music, doing sound mixes “Everyone knows this. I have never seen a
time for the deadline. Such are the logisti-
for the film, editing all the music musician who learns music as quickly as
cal demands of Fleck’s ‘Africa Project’.
sequences in the film. Bela. And now we will have the chance to
The Africa Project is currently riding There has been almost show Americans that the banjo really does
high on the heels of a Grammy win for no day that I haven’t come from Africa.” Kouyate calls Fleck “a
Fleck’s 2008 CD release, Throw Down Your been involved with complete musician”, adding, “he even
Heart (Rounder). The companion film, this music. In a way, I showed my son how to play the banjo”.
made by Fleck’s younger half-brother
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate
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