Friday, January 7, 2011

Musique du Mali - 2 - Bazoumana Sissoko - Le vieux lion I


Musique du Mali - 2
Bazoumana Sissoko - Le vieux lion I
Musicaphon - Bärenreiter - BM 30 L 2552 - P.1971



Face A

A1 Sunjata 8'05
A2 Mali 6'07
A3 Yiriba 5'58
A4 Kaba Balla 5'54

Face B

B1 N'Baoudi 6'12
B2 Falla 6'50
B3 Yaoni 5'36
B4 Ladji Mory 6'52



Bazoumana Sissoko, Le vieux lion - 1890-1987

When I was studying in Beijing in the seventies there were several students from Mali there and I have still to see anyone so surprised as the little group of Malian students that passed by my student room and heard me playing my tapes with Le vieux lion. They simply could not walk by and and we became good friends already on the grounds of sharing his music. After that I was always invited to them for tea and music and we all basically had a fantastic time. The stories how some music opened up fantastic new grounds and friendships in my life are so many that they are impossible to recollect. Sharing food and music I think are the best conditions to build any lasting peace among people. I have very little to say about Bazoumana Sissoko and there is very little information on the net. There is a poetic bit to read in the accompanying folder but nothing of real biographical substance. Some short explanations and descriptions of the songs, but that is all, and the same skimpy information is repeated in the volume 2. I wish there were biographical detail, descriptions of the society the music was performed in and more anecdotes shared about this very influencial artist. According to my Malian friends he was both "saintlike" and "demonical" musician. You get the immediate idea that Music is very powerful in Mali. Many of his songs are heard in all sorts of constellations and by so many other musicians and I think listening to his recordings are instrumental to any deeper understanding of the traditional music.

From the worldservice blog:

Very soon in hearing Bazoumana on Radio Mali, Malians knew that an important event had taken place or was taking place, whether it was a day of national celebration or of national mourning.
There is quite a bit more to read there and also some more good music posted at that wonderful blog: The old lion



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great tunes for sure!

you might enjoy the early Bazoumana Sissoko at

"Mali: Epic, historical, political and propaganda songs"
of the socialist government of Modibo Keita Vol. 1 (1960 - 1968) - the master beeing acetats from Radio Mali.

Bazoumana Sissoko' s name at that cover: "Ba Zoumana - griot bambara de Segou."

Anyone got a idea, who performs at the 2nd volume of the same album?

A.

bolingo69 said...

I might indeed! But I do not have a copy of either the original edition that I gurss was from Radio Mali neither do I have the Lyrichord edition nor the Albatros Dischi edition Care to help out? I gladly post them here if you pass on a copy!

"Mali: Epic, historical, Political and Propaganda Songs of the Socialist government of Modibo Keita Vol. 1 (1960 - 1968)
Radio Mali." Recorded at Radio Mali 1960-64, Lyrichord LLST 7325 , Albatros, VPA 8326

"Mali: Epic, historical, Political and Propaganda Songs of the Socialist government of Modibo Keita Vol. 2 (1960 - 1964)
Radio Mali." Recorded at Radio Mali 1960-64, Albatros, VPA 8327.

lemisantrope said...

Sir, you just made my day!! great malian music, hard to get. I am out of words to express what you made for me. THANKS and may whoever got love and poetry in his flesh bless you.

bolingo69 said...

amadou,

That is just what I was hoping! You are happy so I am happy! And yes the music is great!

Anonymous said...

bo

didn't you got the mail I did send you the 7th?

A.

bolingo69 said...

I really have a problem communicating with Anonymous here as it is hard to know who is who and I guess that is the whole point of Anonymous. If you are referring to a mail from Switzerland mentioning the "Les meilleurs souvenirs de la 1ére Biennale Artistique et Culturelle de la Jeunesse (1970). Troupes Artistiques. Disque 1
[1970] Bärenreiter-Musicaphon. BM 30 L 2651. 33.3 rpm disc."

Here is a link for that one:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XTKW3U0X

I'll get back to you when I have something more useful to say. If A someone else i'm sorry, I did not get your mail... ;-)

http://globalgroovers.blogspot.com/2008/10/orchestre-rgional-de-mopti-boro.html
I have them also but they were all (I think) posted by Moos on Global Groove
I will answer but I have no quick one and I am a bit swamped at the moment

Z j A k said...

Hi Bolingo
your post is relayed with some add, link to your blog in the message and favorite blog's list on >jammagica.blogspot.com< . Feel free to do the same if you like my complete(?) Poly-Rythmo's discography. Pierre 'Z j A k'