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  Balla Tounkara is a korafolá A korafolá is a kora player in mandinka (who
is able to make the kora talk) - korafolálu, plural. and a singer, coming from Boudefo, near Kita, - the cradle of greatest griots lines of Mali. Nephew of the famous guitar hero Djelimady Tounkara, grandson of the famous korafolá A korafolá is a kora player in mandinka (who is able to make the kora talk) -
korafolálu, plural. Batrou Sekou Kouyate, who had been his teacher, Balla exhibits great virtuosity, perfectly stepping on the great Manding kora old style, intellectual et
refined, though he's adding his own modern patterns. Balla is quite famous in Boston where he emigrated and settled since the 1990's, following the way of pioneers such as Foday Musa Susso or Mamadou Diabate. Yet, he still has to be known in Europe, may be because he produces himself his musics and he's not touring often on that Continent.
 « The kora can play any music in the world », Balla says on his official web site. « It's my dream to put the kora into my own experience-to put the culture of Mali into modern styles. » No one else puts the kora through so many stylistic changes. He is a kind of bard, or troubadour. For Balla, the kora is not just an instrument ; it's the spiritual accompaniment to his
deepest thoughts on life, religion, politics and culture. He plays whatever he hears; the kora represents his response to surroundings. It's part of his eloquence
as much as his singing voice and the lyrics he composes... With his new band, he combines successfully tracks with hip-hop, reggae, Afro-Cuban rythms.
Though the role of the griot has evolved over the centuries, he remains central to cultural life in West Africa. Balla
Tounkara was born into this tradition-raised in the village of Boudefo, in the mountainous state of Kita. Balla traces his own ancestry to the great king Sundiata Keita, and to the generations of
griots who honed their trade in this gentle, agricultural valley where, Balla says, monkeys roam freely in the gardens; and eagles soar overhead. Kita is also the most prominent centre of griot
culture in all Mali, and it was here that Balla was trained in griot disciplines by (among others) his uncle, Djelimadi Tounkara, a famed electric guitarist and pioneer of modem Afro-Cuban styles; his grandfather, Batourou Sekou Kouyate, one of the most renowned kora player of his day; his mother, Miriam
Kanoute, and his grandmother, Mah Diagansira, acclaimed vocalist who fostered his own traditional singing style.
With this foundation, both musical and spiritual, Balla set out, a journeyman-bard, to carry his musical message to the world. « I came to America, he says, and I struggled to produce this
new sound by hearing and listening. » He has performed with some of the biggest names in African music Salif KeitaVery great artist from
Mali, former member of the mythic Rail Band, Salif Keita has so contributed to large spreading of African world music all around the world... Read more., Baaba MaalBaaba Maal is well-talented as multi-instrumentalist and singer gifted with a high piched and impressive voice... Read more., Baba Olotunje, but his
inspiration seems to come from daily life, from the sounds of the street, from the melting pot of musical styles. He finds here-everything from Cuban or Brazilian dance music to jazz to the lone
blues singer busking in the streets of Harvard Square.
We are hearing the sounds of Africa, but also the sounds of America -the shame and beauty of its history ; the intensity of its commercial appetites and sprawling urban vistas. Every tune is a tale
of two worlds, expressed with the griot's unparalleled eloquence ».
source : Catherine A. Salmons Critic, The Boston Phoenix
On my own, I appreciate very much his special kora touch when he performs famous old Manding folksongs : just listen to his
mastering performance Sûba on his solo instrumental album, Spa Song Kora, 2004.
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Balla Tounkara, Yayoroba, © 1996 Balla Tounkara Music |
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Balla Tounkara, Malifoly, © 2000 Balla Tounkara Music |
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Balla Tounkara, Kelefaba : The Peacemaker © 2002 - Balla Tounkara Music |
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Balla Tounkara, Spa Song Kora, © 2004 Spasong |
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Balla Tounkara, Be Right, © 2004 Balla Tounkara Music |
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Balla Tounkara & Group Spirit, Live In New-York , © 2005 Balla Tounkara Music |
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Putumayo's Compilation, Congo to Cuba, © 2002 Putumayo |
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