In Griot Time: String Music From Mali

In Griot Time: String Music From Mali

Banning Eyre, the American producer of this stunning compilation, is a true musical wayfarer. He is a noted journalist and one of the few non-African guitarists able to successfully inhabit traditions such as Congolese soukous and, on this set, notoriously demanding Malian picking styles. For seven months in 1995 and 1996, Eyre lived and studied with the Rail Band's revered lead guitarist, Djelimady Tounkara, in Bamako, Mali. The album consists of Eyre's field recordings, tapes of his lessons with Tounkara, plus well-chosen tracks featuring guitarists such as Habib Koite and Lobi Traore. There are also tunes spotlighting the kora (West African harp), ngoni (a banjolike instrument), and doso ngoni (hunters' harp). The music travels from grittily urban to countrified sounds, but it all has the hot, dusty majesty peculiar to Malian music. The CD is best appreciated along with its eponymous accompanying book (from Temple University Press), which is an extraordinary document. --Christina Roden
Country USA
Manufacturer Stern's Africa
Binding Audio CD
ReleaseDate 2000-07-18
UnitCount 1
UPCs 740042108929
EANs 0740042108929