Artist:Djelimady Tounkara
Song:Sigui
Album:Sigui
Guitarist Djelimady Tounkara has been a big part in the development of West African music. He probably hasn't got the credit he deserves. But he probably doesn't record enough. He seems to prefer being part of a band. He was born in 1947 in Kita, Mali. He started out learning about music from family members. He moved to Mali's capital Bamako in the 60s. He planned to become a tailor. But music was a stronger calling and he played in the band Misira and L'Orchestre Nacional du Mali. In the 70s he was lead guitarist for Rail Band led by Salif Keita. Tounkara was in other bands before he recorded his debut solo album Sigui in 2002 for the French company Label Bleu. As I have said before, there is a large African music community in Paris. Tounkara wrote most of the songs including Sigui and he plays lead guitar. And his guitar is what you should focus on and he has gotten worldwide attention for his guitar skills. Tounkara still records for Label Bleu as his latest album for them was in 2016. He plays on a lot of sessions and he has a trio called Bajourou with singer Lafia Diabate who he has worked with since the Rail Band. Tounkara was supposed to go to Cuba and appear in the documentary Buena Vista Social Club. But when his visa didn't arrive, World Circuit owner Nick Gold had a mix of Malian and Cuban musicians record the 2010 album AfroCubism. I already featured that album. Here's Djelimady Tounkara with Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin and Sidiki Camara on drums performing Sigui at the Barbican Theater in London Feb. 29, 2004.
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