AN ELEGANT MIX OF FUNKY JAZZ AND WEST AFRICAN MANDINGO TRADITIONS

“Sabaru” is the new album by the multi-award winning Guinean Kora virtuoso, singer and composer, Sekou Kouyate, who invented the electrified kora at the age of 12 - and went on to pioneer the sound with fast riffs, experimental distortions and rock and reggae-influenced playing.

His family band, Section Kora, impressed audiences and the press on their recent successful tours Scandinavia and Mexico - and they recorded this album during visits to Copenhagen in 2014 and 2015, with the guest star, Francis Kweku Osei for Ghana. Some of the songs are performed entirely by the multi instrumentalist Sekou Kouyate.

“Sabaru”, meaning patience, sums up Sekou ́s musical history: rooted in his West African traditions and influenced by the contemporary blues, soul, funk and jazz, that had been his early inspirations. Sekou extracts multiple sound layers from his Kora - a rich instrument with endless possibilities for complex combinations of tones and polyrhythms - and on which he performs with great individual expression.

‘Sabaru’ is full of funky bass lines, irresistible rhythms, soulful vocals... and most of all, mesmerising Kora playing... like silver pearls of sound falling from a sunlit sky.

An unpretentious album by a virtuoso who goes into the studio and effortlessly creates on the spot. Not in any way overproduced, the recordings are simply made to sound as if the listener is present in the room with the musicians. It’s an album that takes you on a joyous journey to Taouyah, Guinea Conakry, from the early days of Sekou ́s Griot life with his parrents, to the urban contemporary music scene of the world.

Sekou Kouyate has been called ‘West Africa’s equivalent to Jimi Hendrix’. His sound, mode of playing and the 'invention' of the electric Kora has inspired a whole new generation of kora players. He recorded with his father, M’Bady Kouyate, in 1997, and has since recorded and worked with Ba Cissoko, Blick Bassy, Roberto Fonseca, and rapper & beatboxer Joe Driscoll, as well as his own albums. Today he is considered one of the world’s best Kora players.

Sekou Kouyate was nominated for Afrima Aawards 2015 and SABARU is on the Top Ten list of World Music Charts Europe October, November & December. Transglobal World Music Chart Top 20 November and Global Village Top 40 December. In October it won a ‘Gold Medal’ from Global Music Awards.

“Sekou is my master, I always tell him, but he denies it” - Toumani Diabate, Mali
“Sekou Kouyate is one of the best Kora player’s in the world - a musical genius” - Jacob Edgar, Cumbancha, USA

“Kouyate commands the Kora, coaxing from it’s strings an ethereal sound somewhere between a guitar carved of crystal and a Rennaisance harpsichord. The man is a rare virtuoso”  Superjam, UK

Tracks 01 Dela

02 Dindinya *

03 Atongo ** ****

04 Groove Kora *

05 Fouta ** ****

06 Emourafama **

07 Nade; 08 Ska ****

09 Desert

10 Asuaira *

11 Dificil; 12 Mobeny

Personnel Sekou Kouyate, vocals, kora, electric kora, guitar, bass(*); Sefoudi Kouyate, kora; Mohamed Kalissa, kora; Bouba Kouyate, bass; Mohamed Kaba, drums, calabash; Facinet Sylla, djembe, congas; Francis Kweku Osei, drums(**), tama, udu, clave, congas (***); on “Atongo” : Gaddiel Amoah, bass; Carl Amoah, keys.

Recorded & Mastered by Richard Plougmann

Mixed  by Richard Plougmann & Carolina Vallejo 

Produced by Sekou Kouyate & Carolina Vallejo