The Afrofunk Music Forum

By Marc Bruner

Mamadou Sidibe played a groundbreaking role in transforming Malian popular music. He was one of the first to break with tradition by adopting the now-widely used kamalen n'goni, a lute-harp-like instrument that exudes a deep, soulful sound. The kamalen n'goni was formed by adding a couple of strings to the traditional hunter's lute, the dozon n'goni, to expand the instrument's range and to give it a more varied and open sound. Mamadou also inspried Malian musicians to sing about everyday life, instead of traditional spiritual and hunters' songs.

Mamadou now lives in California with his wife, Vanessa, a talented and accomplished musician in her own right. Together, they produce music that is at once profound and bluesy, but also remarkably soothing and uplifting. Their album Nacoma is a pure delight, offering listeners a fresh and vibrant take on West African traditions. In 2006, the pair were honored with awards at the Independent Music Awards and the Billboard World Music Songwriting Contest.

I saw them live last night in Berkeley and it was a fantastic performance -- hours of music that nourished my soul and got me out of my chair and onto the dancefloor. The best part was watching Mamadou on his knees jam away on one of his beloved instruments, which was wrapped in the colors of the Malian flag. Not a scene I will soon forget.

For more about Mamadou and Vanessa, click here or here or here.

By Marc Bruner

We did a piece a couple of months ago on Afrobeat in America - well, here's some funky American Afrobeat releases I've been listening to lately.

The first is Superkali, a band from Seattle that plays an innovative and inviting mix of afrobeat, funk and jazz. It's a great example of how American bands are taking Fela's legacy in a new and exciting direction.

The second is Boston Afrobeat Society's The Superpowers: Revival Time. Adam Clark, founder of the band, explains that "one of the things we’ve been trying to do is keep the Afrobeat essentials, and work our own melodies and ideas into that and improvise with the forms of the songs.” This talented and creative band recently won Best World Act in the Phoenix Best Music Poll. I really dig their new CD and here's a cool video of one of their live performances.

The third is The Afromotive: Scare Tactics, a thundering 9-piece ensemble from Asheville, North Carolina. Their hard-hitting new disk crosses various musical and ethnic boundaries and is sure to get your feet moving.

Finally, there's Albino!, a raucous 12-piece ensemble from San Francisco that plays heavy, heavy Afrobeat. With politically charged tunes like "Democracy" and "Soldier Don't Speak," their new disk entitled "Rhino" is both thought-provoking and, according to the SF Weekly, "ass-inspiriting." Right on! Watch here for yourself.

All of these bands offer something new and special for fans of funk and Afrobeat music. And be sure to check out our blog for more posts about Afrobeat in America.