From the Palace to the People:

A Global Griot Saves a West African Tradition with Rock ‘n’ Roll Revelations and Blues Muses

On the sandy grounds near the Sahara of West Africa, where the ancient Malian Empire once flourished, where griots have, for generations, sang the praises of local kings and crooned stories of battles long ago, the unassuming musician Bassekou Kouyate stands plucking a small stringed instrument called an ngoni - the ancestor of the banjo. Amidst the urban landscape of Mali’s present day capital - Bamako, Kouyate is surrounded by members of his band who wear bluejeans and have ngonis strapped around their shoulders like electric guitars as they sit on motorbikes and cars while talking on cell phones. Like this cosmopolitan city scene, Kouyate’s latest album with his band Ngoni Ba—I Speak Fula (Next Ambiance/Sub Pop!, iTunes release: December 1, 2009; physical CD release: February 2, 2010)—juxtaposes the ancient and the modern, seamlessly melding contemporary jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, and pop influences with Afro-beat and the centuries-old musical traditions of the griots of Mali.