New York City, USA –
Rokia
Traore has a new album
available in the United States. Nonesuch Records recently released Bowmboi,
a recording that includes the renowned Kronos Quartet. The album has sold more than 100,000
copies in France alone. While the arrangements on Bowmboi are simple and sparse,
the album is rich in musical and lyrical depth.
Traore draws on the vast diversity of cultures she has
experienced. Born into a well-educated Malian family, Traore is the daughter of
diplomat and has lived everywhere from North Africa to the Middle East to
Europe, as well as in the Malian capital, Bamako, where she was once a member of
a high school rap group.The first track, “M’Bifo,” opens with the plucking of an
n’goni, an African lute, but the result, when combined with Traore’s soaring
vocals, is a thoroughly contemporary folk song. Similarly, on Bowmboi,
Traore-who is fluent in several languages-sings exclusively in her native
Bamanan, a language she chose because its particular richness in metaphor and
texture allows her to write and sing in a distinctive new way.
In “Kote Don,” she speaks out about conventional
thinking in all areas: “I dislike what is rigid, set/ What ‘is’ without knowing
why/ All that is hierarchical, static/1 respect my elders/ But tradition is not
infallible/ It is not absolute/ Time passes, we all change/ Nothing remains the
same.”
[Buy Rokia Traore’s new album
Bowmboi
and her previous CDs:
Wanita and
Mouneissa].
Rokia Traore Fall Dates
October 1
Kingston, RI
University of Rhode Island
October 2
Middleton, CT
Wesleyan University
October 3
Toronto, ONT
Small World Festival
October 8
Chicago, IL
Old Town School
October 9
Chicago, IL
Old Town School
October 10
Minneapolis, MN
Cedar Culture Center
October l2
Ann Arbor, MI
The Ark
October 14
Montreal, QUE
Spectrum
October 15
Somerville, MA
Somerville Theater
October 16
New York, NY
Zankel Hall
October 18
Washington, DC
Birchmere
October 20
Calgary, ALB
Epcore Centre
October 22
Vancouver, BC
Chan PAC
October 23
San Francisco, CA
Palace of Fine Arts/SF Jazz
October 24
Santa Cruz, CA
Rio Theater
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.
