| African Music - N'faly Kouyate and Dunyakan. |
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 Kora Music Fusion with N'faly Kouyate from Guinea. N'faly Kouyate was born into the most famous family of griots of the Mandigue, the region of West Africa which includes Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Gambia, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Master Kora player, singer and songwriter. He is the son of Konkoba Kabinet Kouyate of Siguiri in the Republic of Guinea. Konkoba is a rare grade of griot, superior among griots. This rare grade (there exists fewer than three in the world today) was acquired by him through achieving difficult tests and gaining a perfect mastery of the secrets of life, composed of its deep occult secrets and also all of the magic of the Mandingue world. Formed in the most rigorous traditions of the traditional artist of West Africa, N'fally opened his mind nonetheless at a very young age to universal forms of music, including jazz, "world music", blues and techno. A highly accomplished musician, N'fally is a marvelous singer, kora player, storyteller and balafonist, as well as an articulate spokesperson of the studies of these music and of polyphony, of which he often lectures in Belgian universities. In 1997, Peter Gabriel's Realworld Studios proposed to integrate him into their most successful ensemble, the Afro Celt Sound System. He accepted this invitation, and this has allowed him the opportunity to perform at International Festival of Jazz in Montreal, Montreux, the Summer Festival in Quebec, Werchter, Summerstage in NYC, the Couleur Café, the WOMAD Reading Festival, WOMAD in Australia and a comprehensive tour of Australia and New Zealand, among other too numerous to list. In 1999, the second CD by the Afro Celt Sound System, "Release", was released to critical acclaim, a World Music Grammy nomination in 1999 and gold record status in Ireland. N'faly won extensive praises from all corners for his brilliant participation. Volume Three, "Further in Time" was released in 2001 and N'fally garnered praise for not only his exquisite kora playing, but for his arrangements, composing and vocal contributions.
He has also been invited to join "The Chris Joris Experience" and continues to perform with Chris Joris. Their 1998 CD "Live at Middleheim" won the "Prix Django D'or" for that year. N'faly also pursues his career and goals through his work with his own ensemble Dunyakan (the voice of the world), in which blues, world music, jazz and the traditional music of Guinea are intermingled. Their music incorporates traditional african instruments such as the kora, djembé, balafon, and more traditional western instruments such as the double bass and the drum battery, and their polyphonies are largely inspired by the traditional music of Guinea. Their reliance on these polyphonies lends a sweetness to the traditional rhythms, giving Dunyakan a unique sound in the cadre of "world music." N'faly strong songwritingskills gives Dunyakan also its own identity, yet intensely personal, formed by N'faly's strong ideals and dreams. They have performed extensively in Belgium, France also in England and Ireland. http://www.dunyakan.com/ Related items
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In his solo career, he works extensively in Belgium, and, indeed throughout Europe to teach his history and the history of the Mandingue to all ages from 7 to 77. And, though these performances, proposes to advance not only his culture, but his dream of the realization of understanding and tolerance among all cultures of the world.| < Prev | Next > |
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