biography - Abou Diarra

ABOU DIARRA
WORLD MUSIC | MALI
« One listens to Abou Diarra’s latest album the way they undertake a life journey. » Mondomix
«A style uncluttered and molded by a soothing lyric where we feel the breath of the nature» Amina
«His music has experience and « mileage » as they say, but it happily abounds with electric guitars. A very humble guy
with a bag full of gems who could definitely be the next breakout artist.» Voir
BIOGRAPHY
Marked by the ancestral culture of the Mandingo hunters, Abou Diarra is a n’goni player (Mandigo harp) with a
strange and atypical itinerary. Trained by a virtuoso blind
master, he traveled for several months the roads from
Abidjan to Bamako and Conakry...on foot, with his instrument as sole companion. Going through the most remote
villages of West Africa, as well as modern metropoles, he
collected both traditional, hidden musics as well as urban,
contemporary sounds... His music talks of travel, exile,
movement...Fascinated with blues, jazz, reggae, groove,...
his rhythmics and styles mix up countries, sonorities, influences. Nicknamed the ‘n’Goni Jimi Hendrix’, he can successively replace a guitar, a harp, a bass, and leave astounded the best string instrument musicians. Known as a
breakthrough artist in Mali and adjacent countries, he is
among the new West African hit artists (he can be found
in charts, radio shows, interviews...). Performing more and
more, he starts establishing himself, defines his own style
little by little and goes through the African tradition with
his eclectic mix of jazz music, blues music, afro funk... He
passes through Europe and Africa since 2008 taking part
in numerous concerts and festivals...
During his concerts, Abou Diarra is accompanied by his
band, “Donko Band”. Coming from West Africa, they are
all established musicians who are bursting with passion
for Mandingo music, African blues, afro piti and groove...
Abou Diarra and the musicians of the Donko Band like to
redefine the borders of a mixed universe between blues
and Mandingo music, sustained by the acoustics of the
n’goni strings, the roundness of the Malian sun, the suave
beat of urban praises and the poetical customs and rites
of the Wassoulou...
THE N'GONI
The N’Goni is one of Africa’s treasures, specifically of the
Wassoulou area in Mali, used during the Malian rites and
celebrations. Incontrovertible instrument of the dozo culture
and of the hunter’s world, it has been there since since the
dawn of time (approximately 12th century). Initially known
under the name of Dozo N’Goni (the hunter’s n’Goni), it
was the symbol of the hunters and of their brotherhood, the
instrument that would accompany their hunting tales, their
musical games, their praises, but also traditional medicine
and communication with the spirits.
In the 50s, Alata Bourleil and Yoro Diallo, then young musicians appropriated the Dozo N’Goni, willing to emphasize
it outside of the initiatic traditional realm and thus creating
the Kamele (youth) N’Goni.
ALBUMS
«Sabou» - April 2013 (Monde) L’Autre Distribution /
Mix et Métisse / Warm Up
«An Ka Belebele» - October 2010 (France / Afrique)
Indiz / Mix et Métisse
«Kono Kan Bora» - February 2008 (Afrique)
PARTNERSHIPS
TELEVISION
SELECTIONS
PRESS EXTRACTS
« One listens to Abou Diarra’s latest album the way they undertake a
life journey. » Mondomix - Mai 2013
«A style uncluttered and molded by a soothing lyric where
we feel the breath of the nature» Amina - Mai 2013
« In his latest project, the Malian musician successfully associated
his ngoni kamale, a harp-lute between tradition and modernism of
which he is one of the most brilliant ambassadors, to western instruments. »
RFI - Juin 2013
« Abou Diarra’s musical inspiration breaks down the borders. This record is, for once we can’t write it too easily,
a genuine invitation to travel!! » Radio Campus - Avril
2013
« He plays n’goni, the Mandigo hunters’ harp-guitar to which he added
extra strings, like on a guitar, a bass, a harp or drums, in order to mix
wassoulou tradition with blues, jazz and afro-funk. » Télérama Sortir
- Juin 2013
« On his new album… he displays an undeniable melodic sense for
the ngoni and for singing. » Vibrations - Juillet 2013
«There are eleven long tracks that entice and entrance the listener
with such grace and tranquility that it is difficult to turn it off. » Inside
World Music - Août 2013
«On Sabou, Diarra combines dazzling fast pieces with irresistible slow
tempo material. Abou Diarra demonstrates his chops as a kamale
ngoni player, with fabulous solos and fascinating interactions with guitars and other instruments.» World Music Central - Août 2013
«Mature and varied album from highly-talented Malian singer and
ngoni player and his excellent group. None of the playing is ever
flashy but at every turn you hear some happy incident» fRoots - Septembre 2013
« A timeless character is felt while listening to Ka Sikoum and its Mandingo lyricism. A sensitivity daringly cherished... it all offers a surprising dreamlike setting. » Cumbe - Mai 2013
« A true cultural and musical mix, a real culture you must discover ! »
Africanaute - Avril 2013
« Mystic and hot, his music is planante and leads us
somewhere else on unknown, but familiar ground» Métro - Juillet 2013
«Insatiable ngonifola (player of ngoni), Abou Diarra so
proposes something of the happiness, between blues,
jazz, Afro-funk and reggae.» Touki Montréal - Juillet
2013
«His music has experience and « mileage » as they
say, but it happily abounds with electric guitars. A very
humble guy with a bag full of gems who could definitely
be the next breakout artist.» Voir - Juillet 2013
« Diarra is not a powerful singer but a sensitive artist who
can rise on the slow rythms. In his more or less bluesy
afropop, he draws atmospheric lines, sometimes more
paced, close to reggae or borderline impressionist. Moments of blues provide spirit and elegance. » Le Devoir
- Juillet 2013
«A peculiar world music with the ngoni instrument (Malian harp-guitar), a curious man coming from an atypical journey who gives us a beautiful opening to unusual
sounds, yet a true delight. A revelation!”» Info-Culture
- Juillet 2013
RADIO PLAYLISTS
RFI - Vous m’en direz des nouvelles, RFI - Musique du Monde, France Inter - Live Me Do , Afrika N° 1 - Interview
spécial Nuit d’Afrique, RADIO RCF , Radio Canada (CA), Onda Corta (CA), Radio première (CH), Radio Aligre
Résonnance africaine, Radio Rennes - Chemin de terre.
PLAYLISTS
RFI - Playlist RFI et sélection Afrique, Radio Campus Paris, Playlist Próxima Estación, Radio Campus Rennes,
Radio Campus Tours, Ferrarock - Have a travel, Have a trip, Radio Fréquence Mistral - Playlist et coup de coeur
du mois, Radio Rec, Radio Transparence, Alternances FM, Radio Canal Bleu - Gens de la Terre, Cybl - Palmarès
francophone, Radio Gresivaudan, Radio La Boucle, Radio Coteaux, Sorgia FM , Canal Bleu
RADIOS
FIP (FR), RFI (FR), Radio Campus Paris (FR), Radio Clapas (FR), RCV Lille (FR), Radio Gresivaudan, BBC (UK), All
FM (UK), 7AFM Radio Arc en ciel, HRT / Radio Split (HR), Job On Radio (BE), Vivante 105.3 (BE), Kaya FM (ZA),
Kol Ha Campus 106 FM (IL), KPFK - Emission Afrodicia (USA), WRIR 97.3 FM (USA), JPR Podcast (USA), WRIR
(USA), WUWF FM (USA), Laut.fm / Jaliya (DE), Oceane Fm (NC), Otago Access Radio (NZ), Polskie Radio Lublin
(PL), Radio Archiwum (PL), Power 102 fm, Prisma Virus 93.8 FM (GR), Pulsar (BF), Radio Internationale d’Athènes
(GR), Radio RTHK / Radio 3 (CN), Uribe FM (ES), Radio Canada (CA), Stele Radio (CA), Radio RCFM (CZ), Groovalizacion (ES), Waiheke Radio (NZ)
PRESS
Télérama Sortir, Vibrations, Mondomix, Le Parisien, Trad Mag, Le Télégramme, Ouest France, Couleur Jazz, Cumbe,
Musique Terrienne, Union de Reims, Africanaute, ENA, Globalsound (DE), Inside World Music (UK), World Music
Centras (USA), Diskunion (JP), El Sur Records (JP), Métro (CA), Black Milk (CA), BlogueElle (CA), Consul France
(CA), Géo Tourisme (CA), Info Culture Biz (CA) , L’éveil (CA), Le Devoir (CA), Nord Info (CA), Post Info Web (CA),
Spectacle Canada (CA), Touki Montréal (CA), Voir Ca (CA)
SOME CONCERTS
Studio de l’Ermitage (FR), New Morning (FR), Nuits
d’Afrique (CA), Journée d’Afrique (CA), Rythme du
Monde de Sherbrooke (CA), Festival Silhouette (FR),
Festival Africolor (FR), Festival Complet Mandingue
(FR), Festival Solstice d’Antony (FR), Nuit d’Afrique
(CA), Traditions du Monde de Sherbrooke (CA),
Journée d’Afrique (CA), Festival l’Eco Della Muscia
(IT), Festival Art geni (GE), Black Sea Jazz Festival
(GE), Festival Cinéma d’Afrique (FR), Festival Maison
l’Afrique (FR), Tambours Battants (FR), Plein Sud (FR),
Festival de la Solidarité (FR), Les Traver’Cé Musicales
(FR), Festival des Pays du Sahel (FR), Festival des
Voix du Monde de Bovel (FR), Festival Wassa (FR),
Festival Ciné Sud (FR), Festival International du Film
Panafricain (FR), Festival des Kora du Ministère de la
Culture du Mali (ML), Festival World Art’Koustik (FR)..
PROJECT FOR 2015 /2016
NOVEMBER 2014 : SELECTION SOW CASE «VISA
FOR MUSIC» (MAROC)
APRIL / MAY 2015 : NEW CD / DVD LIVE with 5 new
songs - Production Koala Production
APRIL / MAY 2016 : MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY
WITH THE STORY OF N’GONI / VS ABOU DIARRA Production Koala production + NEW RELEASE
CONTACTS
Internet
www.aboungoni.com
www.facebook.com/aboungoni
www.twitter/aboungoni
Vidéo
www.youtube.com/aboungoni
www.dailymotion.com/aboungoni
Management
Maet Charles
[email protected]
+33 (0)6 75 83 35 65
Booking
Emelyne Humez
[email protected]
+33 (0)6 77 56 56 93
Press
Valérie Mauge
[email protected]
+33 (0)6 15 09 18 48
Credits
Capture Life (page 1 & 3) - Plo (page 2) - Maet Charles (page 4) - Isabelle Nègre (page 6)