Habib Koité
Encyclopedia
Habib Koité is a Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist. His supporting cast, Bamada, is a super-group of West African talent, including Kélétigui Diabaté playing balafon
.
by tuning it on a pentatonic scale
and playing on open strings as one would on a kamale n'goni
. Other pieces of his music sound more like the blues
or flamenco
which are two styles he learned under Khalilou Traore.
Koité's vocal style is intimate and relaxed, emphasizing calm, moody singing rather than operatic technical prowess. Members of Bamada play talking drum, guitar
, bass
, drum set, harmonica
, violin
, calabash
, and balafon
. Koité composes and arranges all songs, singing in English
, French
, and Bambara
.
National Institute of Arts and became a conductor in 1978 after only six months of playing. He graduated in 1982, and formed his band Bamada in 1988. The name "Bamada" is a nickname for residents of Mali's capital city Bamako
, and the word roughly translates as "In the mouth of the crocodile." Other members of the band were friends of Koité's from childhood.
One of Koité's best-known songs, "Cigarette Abana" (No more cigarettes), was first recorded in 1991. A new Latin
-style version on his later CD Baro
, along with the song "Nanalé", won Koite the Radio France International Discoveries Prize in 1992. After this recognition, Koité was able to launch his first tour outside of Africa in 1994. He met his manager the next year, and released his first album, Muso Ko which rose to #3 on the European World Music Charts. Two tracks from Muso Ko, I Ka Barra and Din Din Wo, were included with Microsoft Windows Vista, exposing his music to millions of listeners. His follow-up album, Ma Ya also did very well.
Ma Ya was re-distributed through the Putumayo World Music
label, increasing his exposure in the United States
, and his next album, Baro, was distributed through them as well. Koité became one of Mali
's most successful musicians internationally. He has performed and recorded with Eric Bibb
and Bonnie Raitt
, among other Western musicians. Raitt also invited Koité to record with her on her latest album Silver Lining. Many of his songs have been featured on various Putumayo compilations, such as Blues Around The World and Mali.
Habib and Bamada were on stage at the African Roots and Shoots Festival at London
's Barbican
in 2000 and have also performed at many other international festivals. Later in 2000, Habib was part of the "Voices of Mali" tour in U.S.
and Canada
. In 2004 and again in 2005, Habib and the Band toured to enthusiastic audiences. He played a single benefit performance in Providence, Rhode Island
in December, 2005. Bamada is currently touring internationally in support of their latest album, Afriki
.
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
.
Musical style
Koité is known primarily for his unique approach to playing the guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
by tuning it on a pentatonic scale
Pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave in contrast to a heptatonic scale such as the major scale and minor scale...
and playing on open strings as one would on a kamale n'goni
Xalam
Xalam, also spelled khalam, is the Wolof name for a traditional stringed musical instrument from West Africa. The xalam is thought to have originated from modern-day Mali, but some believe that, in antiquity, the instrument may have originated from ancient Egypt...
. Other pieces of his music sound more like the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
or flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
which are two styles he learned under Khalilou Traore.
Koité's vocal style is intimate and relaxed, emphasizing calm, moody singing rather than operatic technical prowess. Members of Bamada play talking drum, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drum set, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, calabash
Calabash
Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
, and balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
. Koité composes and arranges all songs, singing in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and Bambara
Bambara language
Bambara, more correctly known as Bamanankan , its designation in the language itself , is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people...
.
History
Koité was born in 1958 to musical parents, from whom he learned instrumentation by watching and listening. He joined the BamakoBamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
National Institute of Arts and became a conductor in 1978 after only six months of playing. He graduated in 1982, and formed his band Bamada in 1988. The name "Bamada" is a nickname for residents of Mali's capital city Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, and the word roughly translates as "In the mouth of the crocodile." Other members of the band were friends of Koité's from childhood.
One of Koité's best-known songs, "Cigarette Abana" (No more cigarettes), was first recorded in 1991. A new Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
-style version on his later CD Baro
Baro (Habib Koité & Bamada album)
Baro is the third album by Habib Koité & Bamada.It includes a new Afro-Cuban version of his first commercial hit "Cigarette Abana", .-Track listing:# "Batoumambe"# "Kanawa"# "Wari"# "Sin Djen Djen"...
, along with the song "Nanalé", won Koite the Radio France International Discoveries Prize in 1992. After this recognition, Koité was able to launch his first tour outside of Africa in 1994. He met his manager the next year, and released his first album, Muso Ko which rose to #3 on the European World Music Charts. Two tracks from Muso Ko, I Ka Barra and Din Din Wo, were included with Microsoft Windows Vista, exposing his music to millions of listeners. His follow-up album, Ma Ya also did very well.
Ma Ya was re-distributed through the Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music is a New York City based record label, now specialising in compilations of music from various nations, regions or musical styles which may be classified as world music.-Etymology:...
label, increasing his exposure in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and his next album, Baro, was distributed through them as well. Koité became one of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
's most successful musicians internationally. He has performed and recorded with Eric Bibb
Eric Bibb
Eric Bibb is an American acoustic blues singer-songwriter. He is based in London and launched his career in Europe. Today he lives in Finland.-Biography:...
and Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, among other Western musicians. Raitt also invited Koité to record with her on her latest album Silver Lining. Many of his songs have been featured on various Putumayo compilations, such as Blues Around The World and Mali.
Habib and Bamada were on stage at the African Roots and Shoots Festival at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
in 2000 and have also performed at many other international festivals. Later in 2000, Habib was part of the "Voices of Mali" tour in U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 2004 and again in 2005, Habib and the Band toured to enthusiastic audiences. He played a single benefit performance in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in December, 2005. Bamada is currently touring internationally in support of their latest album, Afriki
Afriki
Afriki is the fourth studio album by Habib Koité & Bamada.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Habib Koite# "Namania" 4:11# "N'tesse" 4:33# "Africa" 4:51# "Fimani" 4:28# "N'ba" 4:40# "Mali Ba" 4:44# "Barra" 3:48# "N'Teri" 4:36# "Nta Dima" 3:05...
.
Albums
- Muso KoMuso koMuso Ko is the debut album by Habib Koité & Bamada.Two tracks "I Ka Barra" and "Din Din Wo" are included in the Sample Music package included with Windows Vista...
, 1995 - Ma YaMa YaMa Ya is Habib Koité & Bamada's second studio album.- Track listing :# "Wassiyé"# "Ma Ya"# "Bitile"# "Sirata"# "Foro bana"# "Sarayama"# "Kumbin"# "Mara Kaso"# "Pula Ku"# "Komine"# "I Mada"# "Massane Cisse"...
, 1998 - BaroBaro (Habib Koité & Bamada album)Baro is the third album by Habib Koité & Bamada.It includes a new Afro-Cuban version of his first commercial hit "Cigarette Abana", .-Track listing:# "Batoumambe"# "Kanawa"# "Wari"# "Sin Djen Djen"...
, 2001 - Live!Live! (Habib Koité & Bamada album)-Track listing:# "Muso Ko" # "Fatma" # "Ma Ya" # "Sirata" # "Batoumambe" # "Bitile"...
, 2004 - AfrikiAfrikiAfriki is the fourth studio album by Habib Koité & Bamada.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Habib Koite# "Namania" 4:11# "N'tesse" 4:33# "Africa" 4:51# "Fimani" 4:28# "N'ba" 4:40# "Mali Ba" 4:44# "Barra" 3:48# "N'Teri" 4:36# "Nta Dima" 3:05...
, 2007
Sources
- Habib Koité Homepage
- Artist Profile
- Putumayo biography
- Putumayo description of Baro with accompanying biographical information
- Biography at Mali-music