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 Makan Tounkara nicknamed « Badjé » is a famous n'konifôlaA
nkonifolá is a player of n'koni (the one who is able to make the n'koni talk) - nkonifolàlù, plural... Read more., from Mali.
Grandson of the great Djeli Baba Sissoko (1922-2001), Makan Tounkara was born in 1965 not far from Bamako. As musical
teacher, his father Mody Tounkara taught him. This famous nkonifolà, director of the "Instrumental Ensemble of Mali," put this small traditional guitar in his hands when he was able to strike the
strings. He gave Badjé the strict instruction of thejèlílujèlílu (plural, jèlílu) are bards, loremasters, and praise-singers in the Manding areas whose
functions are story-telling, speaking about lineages, singing and playing music as they want and hear it. , at the expense of schooling, since his father considered all the most important
for a
griot to know by heart the entire traditional Malian folksongs and epics repertoire.
As a young fifteen old boy, Badjé had to accompany Adja Soumano, then he has regularly played with Amy Koïta. Surrounded and advised by leading griots of Mali, Badjé quickly played with the greatest names in Malian music and can be heard today with Sekouba Bambino, Baba Maal, Nainy Diabaté or Djeneba Seck. And indeed, in the 1990s, he was
recognized by his peers as "Chief of Malian griots" (jeli kountigui) while he was the companion of Adama Diabate, famous griot in Mali in the early 90.
On his first solo album, Mali Ngoni, Makan Tounkara exhibited a perfect classical technique
and demonstrated the wide possibilities of the instrument-King of Mandingo music, the only one, if mastered, that gives the right to be called «Jèlíbà», i.e : «Great Master Griot».
In 2012, Makan is back with an mastering album, lurking around the blues, Sodjan, and renews the proof that «one
can play all kind of music» on the ngoni The n'koni is a melodic instrument hailing from the Fulani, used since antiquity by that ethnic group. In the
beginning, it was made with a single string and was probably created by the shepherds using it for entertainment when they followed the transhumance of their flocks... Read more., the
instrument king of Manding music classic : see his masterful interpretation of Suba on his album, titled Massaya.
Badjé has been accompagnied on this album with the voices of Zoe Coulibaly, Gedon Diara, Adama Diabate, Djuiby Kanoute, and that of his wife Fatoumata «Djélini» Kouyaté. He also has the instrumental
support of Modi Tounkara (ngoni The n'koni is a melodic instrument hailing from the Fulani, used since antiquity by that ethnic group. In the beginning, it
was made with a single string and was probably created by the shepherds using it for entertainment when they followed the transhumance of their flocks... Read more. lute with four
strings), Yakouba Sissoko (ngoni The n'koni is a melodic instrument hailing from the Fulani, used since antiquity by that ethnic group. In the beginning, it
was made with a single string and was probably created by the shepherds using it for entertainment when they followed the transhumance of their flocks... Read more. ba , i.e. : lute bass)
Djifili (djembe drum), Modibo Diabaté (flé flute and krin scraper), Mamadou Tounkara (tama, i.e : talking drum).
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Makan Tounkara, Mali-N'goni © 2003, Cinq Planetes - CP 03266 |
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Makan Tounkara, Sodjan © 2012, Buda Musique |
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