Rokia Traoré’s new album “Né So” reveals the various musical sides of the Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist. You’ll find folk-pop, Afropop, Malian roots music, French chanson and even jazz. Although Malian music is currently very popular, Traoré only shows her Malian roots occasionally on “Né So”.
Most of the songs on “Né So” are originals sung in Bambara and French except for Billie Holiday’s jazz song “Strange Fruit” and a spoken work song with English-language vocals.
In the press release, Traoré explains that she didn’t want a full Malian band for this release and that’s why “Né So” goes into multiple directions. Still, the best songs on “Né So” are the ones that show deep Malian traditional influence: “Kenia,” featuring three guitars and ngoni; “Mayé,” a laid back piece with fascinating guitar work; and “Sé Dan” which features the spoken word sections.
The lineup on “Né So” includes Rokia Traoré on vocals and guitar; Malian ngoni player Mamah Diabaté; Moïse Ouattara on drums; Matthieu N’guessan on bass; Rodriguez Vangama and Stefano Pilia on guitars; and Bule Mpania, Russell Tshiebua, and Stefy Rika on backing vocals. Guests include John Parish on guitar and drums; John Paul Jones on bass, Reggie Washington on bass; and Devendra Banhart on lead vocals.
Buy Né So
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
