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

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