As African music becomes more accessible to Western listeners, African musicians are getting attention from major labels, like Bassekou Kouyate’s I Speak Fula released on Sub Pop subsidiary Next Ambiance. Banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck traveled to Africa in 2008 to trace his instrument’s lineage and to find it a new voice. The subsequent documentary and album Throw Down Your Heart has become a landmark achievement in cultural fusion. In 2010, Fleck and Kouyate have embarked on tour across the U.S. to promote both albums. On Feburary 10th, they played the Granada Theater in Dallas. The show was billed as a Bela Fleck concert, but to the surprise of most people there, Fleck backed off and let his African colleagues steal the show.

Bassekou Kouyate’s instrument, the n’goni, is an ancestor to the banjo, and he played extensively with Fleck in Africa. Their performance together in Dallas was beautifully transcendent and overwhelming. For people accustomed to traditional African music, a few things stood out. The most obvious is the bass rhythm playing in time with the percussion, and the lead ngoni player soloing like an American rock star with one foot on the monitor and a face scrunched with joyous anguish. As an ensemble, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba are the tightest and most impassioned band I’ve ever seen live. I was astounded by how casually they ripped through dizzying tempos while displaying airtight coordination and huge dynamic range. They put out a sound so rich and full, so nuanced and powerful, it sweeps you away while igniting your aural mind.

Ngoni Ba includes Bassekou’s wife, Amy Sacko (vocalist) and son. Amy Sacko’s voice rang clear and powerfully over the ensemble, which at times numbered more than ten musicians. Her deep resonating voice is the anchor of Ngoni Ba’s unique sound. Her presence on stage rivals her husband’s, but enhances the performance instead of competing. Each acoustic element could be discerned and enjoyed without straining, and the mix was well balanced.

Bassekou Kouyate writes with the youth of western countries in mind. In the second set, Fleck and a guest violinist played with Ngoni Ba, seamlessly blending bluegrass and Malian music. To wring out a tired cliché once more, it was a tour de force, an immensely creative and inspiring fusion built on mutual adoration of soundcraft. Bassekou Kouyate is true pioneer, a daring spectacular musician, and a world-class composer.