Soungalo Coulibaly
Encyclopedia
Soungalo Coulibaly a Mali
an drummer.
Coulibaly was brought up in the purest Bambara tradition. His father was head of the village of Béléko (about a hundred kilometres from Ségou
, in the Baninko region, southern Mali
) like most traditional drummers, he gained his first musical experience at a very early age by accompanying work in the fields and playing at village celebrations on the bara
and the sabani. He left Béléko for Fana
, then for Côte d'Ivoire
, and taught himself to play the djembe, seizing every opportunity to accompany the djembefola he met at celebrations, and adopting their music. When he moved to Bouaké
, Côte d'Ivoire
, in the mid-1970s, he immediately earned a name for himself through his remarkable musicality and his ability to adapt to all sorts of different styles. Those same qualities led to recognition in Europe, where he regularly presented concerts with his group, as well as giving courses. His three previous CDs are regarded as references by his peers.
Soungalo died on March 9th 2004 from cancer.
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...
an drummer.
Coulibaly was brought up in the purest Bambara tradition. His father was head of the village of Béléko (about a hundred kilometres from Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
, in the Baninko region, southern 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...
) like most traditional drummers, he gained his first musical experience at a very early age by accompanying work in the fields and playing at village celebrations on the bara
Bâra
Bâra is a commune in Neamţ County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bâra, Negreşti and Rediu.-References:...
and the sabani. He left Béléko for Fana
Fana, Mali
Fana is a town and seat of the commune of Guegneka in Mali's Koulikoro Region. Fana has a population of approximately 25,631 inhabitants.Boasting a major production site of the Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile , Fana is Mali's second greatest site of cotton production after...
, then for Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, and taught himself to play the djembe, seizing every opportunity to accompany the djembefola he met at celebrations, and adopting their music. When he moved to Bouaké
Bouaké
Bouaké is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775,300 . It is the main urban settlement of the Bouaké Department with a population exceeding 1.2 million, in the Vallée du Bandama Region...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, in the mid-1970s, he immediately earned a name for himself through his remarkable musicality and his ability to adapt to all sorts of different styles. Those same qualities led to recognition in Europe, where he regularly presented concerts with his group, as well as giving courses. His three previous CDs are regarded as references by his peers.
Soungalo died on March 9th 2004 from cancer.
Discography
- 1989 - Naya! (Cassette only, out of print)
- 1994 - Laïla Ilala
- 1995 - Dengo
- 2000 - Sankan Wulila
- 2002 - L'art du djembe
- 2004 - Live