Habib Koité and his band, Bamada, broke into the mainstream in the 90s
with the song “Cigarette a Bana” (“The Cigarette is Finished”), earning
Koité the Radio France International Discoveries award in ’92. Growing
wildly popular across West Africa, where his homeland Mali is located,
Koité became loved by musicians around the world including Jackson
Browne and Bonnie Raitt, and mentioned in dozens of publications including
Rolling Stone and the New York Times. Koité chose to study acoustic
guitar at the National Institute of Arts and quickly mastered it, but
modified it by adding Malian tuning in addition to the Western tuning to
recreate the sound of the n’goni, a traditional Malian instrument.
Koité has seamlessly moved Malian folk music into a popular
radio-friendly format by creating this traditional sound with modern
instruments including electric bass. Well-played classical guitar finds a
niche among modern instruments to create something contemporary and clean,
but with the integrity of the folk songs that it stems from.

Salif Keita left a life of royal lineage in Mali to pursue a career in
music, even being disowned by his father in order to follow his dream. His
success was inevitable though, with a strong soulful voice and an
appreciation for different music around the world. After a popular stint in
Cote D’Ivoire with his band Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, Keita moved to
Paris where he released his first solo album Soro, demonstrating
himself as a world fusion artist. The album combined elements of jazz, R&B,
funk, pop, and of course West African vocals and rhythms. His last album,
Mouffou, is a departure from its predecessor Soro fifteen
years earlier. He has moved more into an acoustic vein, but maintains a
connection to those genres that helped boost him to international fame in
the eighties. His acoustic guitar is especially worthy of notice; when it is
simply his voice and his instrument (as in the song “Iniagige”), the man
seems transformed by the music into someone with no geographical or
political boundaries whatsoever.

If you like electronica, Celtic and African rhythms,
you should check out the Afro Celts.

Formerly known as Afro Celt Sound System, the newly renamed Afro Celts have
developed – and continue to develop – a niche for themselves in the world
beat genre. Combining the two unlikely styles of African and Celtic music
with danceable electronic beats, the Afro Celtic Sound System made popular
ethnic sampling over Western-bred house music…and now that everyone and
their brother has learned the value of using ethnic samples, the Afro Celts
have moved on, changed their name, and tried to become more of a band than
just a “sound system.”

Sometimes ethereal, often pensive, always experimental; the Afro Celts have
created a perfect soundtrack to the world-conscious/appreciative lifestyle.
It tells a story without being preachy, uses obscure tribal elements without
being pretentious, and in the end comes together as another brilliant album
that creates a new sound from old traditions. This success branches from
their first album, Sound Magic, to their most recent release:
Seed. Don’t be fooled, however – their influences stem beyond Ireland
and Africa. Not many artists could put together an album out of such
disparate sounds as Peruvian flute, African drums, Spanish guitar, Middle
Eastern singing, Celtic flute, Mississippi slide guitar, bagpipes, and
electric guitar; and make it sound like a stunning cohesive piece.

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