Abidjan - New York 2009

Text and Photography by William Farrington

If all goes according to plan, 2009 will be a landmark year for showcasing the best in Ivoirian music in New York and throughout the east coast of North America. Not since before the outbreak of civil war in Cote D'Ivoire (2002) have so many Ivoirian artists planned North American tours. What began with attending shows by Africa and The World Productions in New York has become an ongoing project in our minds, exploring music from Cote D'Ivoire and resulted in a visit to Abidjan to meet artists from the various Ivoirian music genres.

Over the course of the next 6 months, a snapshot of the current musical landscape will be presented, including Coupe Decale, Zougolou, Manding, African Reggae, Afro-Zouk, and Zoblazo. International stars including Alpha Blondy, Meiwey, Yode and Siro, Espoir 2000, Monique Seka, Pierrette Adams, Ismael Isaac will return, and music fans will also be treated to some of the most popular current artists including Affou Keita, Petit Papou, Betika, Korotoum Kamara, Amy Camara, Zagazou, Les Freres de la Rue, Abraham Moussa, Kemin Fanta, Kady Doumbia. These artists want nothing more than for their music to get heard by a greater audience and are greatly anticipating their visit to New York.

Village in Southwestern Cote D'Ivoire

Jose Toure with Africa & The World Productions is bringing these artists in for back-to-back tours of major east coast cities in the US and Canada starting at the end of June and continuing until November. In New York, a late night Sunday music series at the Harlem Supper Club (454 West 128th Street). In addition to a look at the artists community below, we are including a travel journal on our first impresions fo Cote D'Ivoire at the following link [LINK]

Dancefloor at The Harlem Supper Club

Our primary goal is to introduce new audiences to these wonderful artists and to make their home more accessible to visitors. We found that it is ever more important to get this news out considering the country is recovering from a civil war that disrupted the infrastructure of the music industry.

Junior Toure

I spent three days interviewing artists and people in the industry accompanied by translator and journalist guide Roland and Junior Toure bouncing around town - Yopougon, Cocody, Angre, Aghien, Treichville in cabs. Thanks to them I gianed a bit of insight into the music of this bustling city and was shown great patience and hospitality as the most basic elements of their culture was explained. We had unexpected suprises like getting to sit in at Studio Mandingo and listen as Nelson Freeman recorded Superman (How do you feel Monrovia?) a song admonishing a former warlord in his native Liberia. But really have only scratched the surface of dynamic culture found here. We hope this is first step toward a more complete documentation, we plan future iterations.

Hadja Sabre Soumano US Tour

Mandinka traditional performing artist Hadja Sabre Soumano brought a taste of what's to come to a packed Bronx performance hall on June 27th filled with a mainly female audience exquisitely dressed in colorful gowns. The event was celebrating a women's association recreating in this unlikely setting a traditional praise ceremony. She was backed by traditional instruments including the balafon and ngoni and female backing singers. Groups of women encircled her on stage while she praised their group and they responded by lavishing her with gifts. The Malian singer is the first in a series of traditional Manding singers that will be appearing through Africa and the World productions in North America.

Affou Keita US Tour

Born in Abijdan, Affou Keita began singing at age seven. Her mother was a singer who died when she was young but her first memories of singing was with her mom. In Africa it wasn't easy to do what she loved (singing) because some looked down on her. She feels things changed with her generation and now women are singing and are accepted by men as singers. As she talked from the living room of her house, one of her videos is playing in which pop elements are incorporated, but it is her voice singing in the traditional style that grabs and holds the listeners attention.

Her latest album "Yiri" means "I don't know what will come" in Manding. She is one of the best and most respected of the traditional singers in Cote D'Ivoire. Her inspiration comes to her during her daily activities and that is the beginning of her process as a composer. When this happens, she has a small studio in her home where she develops her ideas into song. She performs regularly with her band throughout the country.

Petit Papou US Tour

We met Petit papou at his house in Cocody neighborhood of Abidjan during a recent visit. His music embraces the contemporary and traditional and resonates strongly with a youthful audience, Petit Papou refers to his music as “traditional modern”, Decale Mandigue, the title of his hit song form his first album weaves traditional messages and vocal stylings with the dance floor beats of Coupe Decalé. As a manding artist Petit Papou says he speaks to all countries and uses rhythms particular to manding people of Mali, for instance on the fourth track “Papou Nana”. It was recorded in 2006 at Studio Mandingo, Ishmael Isaac’s studio. His name, by the way is a nickname given to him as a baby by his mom. He describes himself as a singer of life who is listening to his fans. He sings of love, marraige, advice about life and greetings. He finds that life as an artist has returned to normal in the city. In the beginning of the crisis there were no shows, no concerts but he points out he has since recorded his CD which has made him very popular and a busy performer. Highlights of his career included stops in the US where his Ny performance was to standing room only. He used backing tracks from his album during that performance the drumm machines and synthiszer effects juxtaposed against the timeless clarity of his voice, at times with very effective results.He is ready to record again

“Les Legends du Zouglou” featuring Yode and Siro, Espoir 2000, and band direct from Cote d’Ivoire

Yodé and Siro were in France performing at the time, but we were able to interview his manager. We found out that they have been performing together 10 years and are known as the best Zouglou singers in the world. When they are working to get the visas and when they arrive in the USA they intend to demonstrate that Zouglou is the best music, period. During the US tour, they will be backed by the Black Warriors, lead by Abou Diarrassouba.

“Coupe Decale Klash” featuring Marechal DJ, Les As DJ’s of Burkina Faso, and Maty Dollar

The Coupe Decale Klash presentation will be capture the spontaneity of the moment in West African music when artists that share the coupé decale beat and contemporary approach to making music, but coming from different traditions, converge at the Harlem Supper Club.

Marechal DJ

The music of Marechal DJ was honed in his work as a singer with Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, and Pierrette Adams. Marechal released his first CD of ten tunes in 2005. It contained the Coupe Decale sensation “Seka Seka” which has become a musical genre in itself, known worldwide. A style which Marechal told us brings “Joie de Vivre” to all who hear it and is meant to make people happy and enjoy life. A native of the Congo, his Congolese musical roots can be heard embelishing the Coupé Decale beat, particularly in the guitar and in his vocal stylings. His music is an urban music that has stood the test of time - four years - proof of which is his wordscan demonstrates how many versions of the song exists in remixes on the internet.

Marechal DJ is quick to point out that “there is a difference between the videos and what happens at a “Spectacle”. He continues “Come out and see what I can do onstage and you will see that Seka Seka is the best” The live show features his dancing, a lot of audience participation (hands waving and shouting along) but not a live band. This is where Coupé Decale performances breaks new ground, relying on DJs and artificially generated beats rather than a live band to back him. The guitar work on his CD is provided by his brother August with whom he is collaborating with to compose his new work. He is looking internationally for a producer for the new music which he says will incorporate Reggae, Rumba and Salsa rhythms in alongside the Coupé Decale beats. “Three new concepts and it is going to be the bomb” he tells us. Already two videos from of the new work, “Bonjour, Bonsoir” and “Abidjan on dit Quoi” are out. “Tout est Vanite” is the tentative tile.

Commenting on the current Coupe Decale music scene, Marechal says “It is evolving, if it wasn’t good it would not have spread so widely. You have to listen to the music and judge for yourself”

email: muteba_guy@RE08 phone: 225 08 8 366 42, 225 48 11 87 65, 225 230 00 286

Maty Dollar

Maty Dollar, a strong voice and a rare female voice in Coupe Decale. Born in Touba, Cote d’Ivoire and a Texas resident for the past 14 years. We spoke to her by phone from Paris where she is working on new music, collaboratiing with several Parisian rap artists. “Like yourself as you are” is her message to women, focus and believe in yourself as he (God) knows what he is doing” contact: OUA production PO BOX 8322 PHILADELPHIA PA 19101 TEL: 1-267-496-8272
website: www.matydollar.com, www.myspace.com/matydollar

Mande Flash featuring Korotoum Kamara, Amy Camara and Zagazou

Korotoum Kamara's smoky, sultry style contrasting with piercing insight of Amy Camara, two Mande vocalists making their North American debut makes this show highly anticipated. It will undoubtedly have the energy of Manding ceremonies, expect colorfully dressed women to be to spraying the artists with tons of money.

Korotom Kamara Korotoum Kamara’s voice exudes a non chalant blues tinged authenticity that hits you in the gut. Her work with Zagazougou (Zagazougou Coup, 1996, reissued in 2008 on Pirhana records) is a most unusual recordings as it features the accordian and percussion in innovative ways, bearing a close resemblance to Dominican Jing Ping music in its use of the frame drum, accordian and waltz tempo The vocals don’t soar but retain the expressiveness of manding traditions. The group and the vocalist have gone their seperate ways with Korotoum going solo traveling with her own band to do greetings and ceremonies and uses these musicains in the studio however she will be reuinted with four members of Zagazougou including the accordianist for this tour. We anticipate this reunin greatly.

We watched several videos of her new work from her first solo album Dakan (Destiny) in her walk up apartment in the Adjame neighborhood. Adjame is a densely packed neighborhood, crowded with markets lining the main road, giving way to narrow walkways, it is a rainy dark late afternoon when we arrive at her place where we watch several of her latest videos, she is currently touring. Korotoum’s talents are in demand as a traditonal manding singer she performs at weddings and ceremonies offering advice on marraige, and greetings as the occaission demands. Her own music is more personal, on “Gerabi” (Love in Manding), from Dakan, Korotoum sings of the pain of love. She tells the tale of a woman leaving her husband for a wealthier man with the twist that Korotoum sings from the perspective of the jilted man, asking for forgiveness and for his wife to come back. Where does her inspiration come from? Korotoum is most inspired most inspired when angry. If its anger that inspires it manifests with unwavering conviction in her singing as a smoky smoldering anger with more than a hint of sadness. She recalls her struggle as a youth to fulfill her destiny as a singer with a flash of the anger that propels her creatively. In a slightly raspy soft spoken voice she said “To sing is my destiny. My parents did everything they could to stop me, but i fought to fulfill my destiny. My grandmother was a singer and my mother was a dancer until someone poisoned her and this caused them to do whatever they could to keep me from that life.” One of her early memories is being enchanted by the singer Douda. She began copying his singing style and when her parents stopped her. Later they sent her to live with her aunt but she rebelled and was sent back. upon return she was sent to her room and there shewrote “Allah ma Diana” a hit song for Zagazougou.

Amy Camara

Amy Camara, Greeted us with a meal of fired fish and attieké which I did my best to eat with my hands, the effort was appreciated anyway, after we sat and watched a video of a ceremony where she sang which included a greeting to a friend who arrived in Abidjan from the USA. She is strictly a traditional Manding singer, and one in hgh demand. Parties are the source of income and they are paid according to their skills in offering greetings etc. The husband works with her as her manager, several times a week Amy performs these greetings at parties, particularly saturday and sunday. Peace on earth, advice to just married couples to respect their parents and good behavior within the marraige are also subjects in her songs. The inspiriation for her words come to her in dreams she says. She began her professional careeer at the age of 15 and itonly recently became a priority to document her work, so she has begun work on her first CD with four songs complete. “Rural and urban traditional music is the same”, she says, “the only difference between rural and urban forms of traditional musicis that in the village they use the Kora, Balafon and drum, in the city Guitar, trumpet, keyboards. Now her four year old daughter sees her on the TV and sings along this is how the tradirtion is being passed from generation to generation today.

“African Roots and Reggae” featuring Ismael Isaac (Abidjan), Les Freres de la Rue” (Paris), Ras Naya (Kenya) and Abraham Moussa (Cote d’Ivoire)

Ismael Isaac

“I believe in love. When you have problems the goats are always with you...they are not hypocrites...you feed them and they bless you.”

Reggae music has deep roots in Cote d'Ivoire and late in the afternoon on my last day in Abidjan we made our way to Yopougon, where Ismael Isaac lives in in a large compound on a quiet neghborhood street in the large suburb of Abidjan. High walls with the words "Le Grand Gangaba" above the gates surround his house and create a feeling of calm refuge once inside the compound. His house faces the gate, the studio, Studio Mandingo is on the left. To the right is an area reserved for his flock of goats. Ismael is not home when Junior, Roland and I arrive. While we wait, Nelson Freeman an artist from Liberia and producer Tony Evariste Yace allow us to listen in as they work on asong about Monrovia and a former warlord “Superman (How you feel Monrovia)”. We sit and listen as Tony adds layers of percussion to Nelson’s lyrics - powerful words about a warlord still living in Monrovia a city left bereft of basic services.

It has been some years since we have seen Ismael in New York so we were excited to have the opportunity to spend a few minutes with him and he had good news for us. He was just finishing up a new album and will be in North America in a few months for a live tour. For the new album, among the 16 tracks is a tribute to Barack Obama, fulfilling his prohetic lyrics form 2003 release Black System “I believe one day there will be a black president....”where he said he believes there will be a black president.

Recorded completely in his studio, Studio Mandingo it is currently being completed in Paris and will be released in Africa and Europe but there is no distributers in North America as yet. He reunites with Georges Kouakou (Washington DC) and Wurlie Moctar (Paris) arrangers on Black System and also works with Tyrone Downie, keyboard player with Bob Marley. Ismael Isaac, a native of Treichville in Abidjan began his performing career in 1986 and recorded his first album in “Rahman” for syllarts in1990.

He later recorded "Treich Feeling" which received considerable acclaim within African Reggae circles. In the interim since we last saw him at SOB’s in 2003 he has concentrated on and performing both in Africa and Europe, in part because artists are not making money through sales due to pirating. Among his other recent projects is a new music video done for the benefit of child soldiers and sponsored by the UN Peacekeeping Department of Conduct and Discipline.

As we spoke we heard the muezzin from the local mosque and it seemed appropriate to thank him for his time. Before leaving though we had to ask about the goats, as it seemed a bit odd to see a herd of goats in a large city. He told us that as a boy he developed a love of animals. Ismael’s parting words were “I believe in love. When you have problems the goats are always with you...they are not hypocrites...you feed them and they bless you.”

Les Freres de la Rue

Spyrow

During our visit to Abidjan we were lucky enough to catch a set by one of the top local reggae artists, Spyrow, performing at Pam's, a music cabaret in the Deux Plateaux neighborhood. The sound remains true to the original ideals of reggae music, passionate lyrics about issues contemporary Ivorians face in their daily lives in a broader spiritual context. While a veteran musician, his youthful band brought a sense of energy and enthusiasm that was refreshing while keeping the musicianship at a high level.

We caught up with Spyrow to get his perspective on the message of his music: "Today Reggae has become a music of the conscience and a music that defends the most weak. This is to say the people find within it a music of peace, love, unity and justice." We next explored the challenges facing Spyrow and his contemporaries in Abidjan following the civil war. "Today in Abidjan we have good musicians and good singers, but we lack a true industry and infrastructure to promote the music and take it to the next level, particularly in terms of live performance. There are some different cabarets but there is not really an true actiivty here. I would like to demonstrate our bands talent in the larger international festivals in Europe. " He helped organize a reggae festival just days before our arrival that commemorated Bob Marley's birthday which is now available on DVD. He also just released a CD with his new band.

Spyrow introduced his youthful band to us including: Ras Labo, bassist and Chef D'Orchestre (21 yrs), drummer Ojo (18 yrs) , guitarist Mike (21 yrs), first keyboardist Jacob (25 yrs) and another keyboardisst Akatche (16 yrs).

Jo Black

Magic System

Magic System is one of the top Zouglou groups and is the Ivoirian group that has achieved the greatest commercial success in France where their CDs can even be found in large supermarkets throughout the country. The group was founded in 1996 by the four volcalists Salif "Asalfo" Traoré, Narcisse "Goude" Sadoua, Etienne "Tino" Boué Bi, and Adama "Manadja" Fanny. Recent collaborations with Algerian Rai group Maghreb 113 in France have only increased the band's popularity with a wider audience.

These photos are from a memorable performance at Harlem's Apollo Theater in October 2008. The band brought the informal party atmosphere of a Zouglou show, including its usual audience participation with call and response, dancing and spraying money on stage. It was memorable within the reserved setting of the Apollo.

“Mande Kalou” featuring Affou Keita, Kemin Fanta, and Kady Doumbia

Kemin Fanta:

Kemin Fanta has a flair for the dramatic, after walking through an empty compound, as we entered she and 15 or so family members burst into song of greeting. Before we sat down to talk about her music she had given us the best example possible of her role as a traditional Manding singer. After arranging ourselves in the small room we watched her video “Badenya” 2006 from her first album. It is a salutation to family unity, in it Kemin has created a fusion of Manding and Jazz rhythms infused with a pop sensibility that, follows the vocal traditions alternating a piercing lead by Kemin with swaying, uplifting chorus Seeing this artist surrounded by family made us wonder about how difficult it is to keep her traditions alive with the younger members of her family and she answered us by telling us that for her, born into the music, it comes naturally to be a musician as her parents were musicians. “Manding music is a gift” she said “Inherited, I am the guardian of the tradition and pass it just as naturally to my children”. This was demonstrated again moments later when after stating that inspiration can come at any moment she bursts into a song for the American reporter and her family followed instantly as chorus.

Next we watched a track from her latest album “Waraba” titled Fourou (Greetings in Manding) distributed by Lael Music. It features her fine sense of choreography, guitar by Jean Loius Verinice, and Mamadou Diabaté on drums, kora and flute. Families have their own singers, keepers of the culture and history, and that is her role. Born into the music in Boaké, Cote d’Ivoire, it comes to her naturally. She is the guardian of the tradition in her family. Greetings are a rich part of Manding culture, the subject of many songs in the manding tradition. She is singing in the second clip that someone hes a healthy child and the lord’s blessings, but it has the feel of a pop music video without the contradiction that that juxtaposition would seem to create.

As an artist who has toured internationally ion support of other artists,, she says her goal is to bring her own music to an international audience but her priorities are clear and she is not leaving her family and tradition behind in doing so. Kelemagni, 2008, from Waraba shows all her talents at their best, choreography, vocals, mingling with sparkling kora leads, bass and percussion it can be viewed at jujunation.com by Lael Music. it is a powerful plea for peace and while targeting the local situation is a universal message. It is only the lack of proper distribution that makes it nearly impossible for us to hear such strong voices.

“African Divas” October 18th featuring Pierette Adams and Betika

Betika

Betika’s music seduces the ear as irresistably as the pull of gravity. “My songs are the stories of love without love there is no life.” she told us at the studio where her videos are produced in Abidjan. We watch two videos Ma Rivale and Fakaloh from her latest album. Her voice floats gracefully over slow afro zouk rhythms as the dramas play out on the screen. These are not flirtatious love stories, both are sung with the assurance of a palm reder and the knowledge of a divorce attorney, and both she says are written from her experience. Fakaloh is the story of a bride left at the altar, Ma Rivale the story of two woman after the same man, demonstrates the pull of the traditional and the modern in a tug of war that young women regardless of background can relate to. Missié Pardon, her third album released in 2006 was her breakthrough album. That year she won several Ivorian awards including Best Singer and Best Album and a video of her performance at the Palais la Culture introduced her more widely to international audiences in Paris and Europe, but his will be her first tour North America as a headliner.

Pierrette Adams

Pierrette showcased a half dozen of her latest offerings at the Harlem Supper Club. Pictured above in anticipation of her upcoming concert tour in the US.

Known for her sultry, Zouk inflected ballads, her latest album includes a duet with Alpha Blondy and the production is punctuated by Congolese guitar riffs and animations aimed at the dancing audiences.

“100% Ivorian Flash” featuring Meiway and Monique Seka

We caught up with Monique Seka by phone during her visit to New York on June 27. She was pleased to catch up with AfricaSounds as it has been several years since her last US tour, and is looking forward to the double bill with Meiway slated for this coming November. We learned that Monique is currently working on a new album, in France, which is greatly anticipated by her fans. A double "Best Of" reissue also recently hit the shelves, packaging together her greats of the 1990s and 2000s.

Cote D'Ivoire Recording Studios and Industry Impressions