Burkina Hakili, a Joyful Celebration of the Musical Diversity of Burkina Faso

Kady Diarra – Burkina Hakili (Lamastrock, 2021)

Burkina Hakili is the third album from excellent singer-songwriter Kady Diarra. The album was recorded   in a garden in Ardèche , southeastern France, during the first pandemic lockdown, from April to May 2020. Burkina Hakili is a celebration of the music of Burkina Faso and its melting pot of cultures and languages.

Kady Diarra’s family is part of the Bwaba ethnic group, from Central Burkina Faso. She performs in various languages, her native Bwaba; Bambara (the majority language in the region); Moré, which is spoken on Burkina Faso’s capital, Wagadugu (Ouagadougou); Dyula from Bobo Diulasso in western Burkina Faso; and French.

Burkina Hakili includes a fantastic collection of songs that highlight Kady Diarra’s skill and charm as a vocalist and storyteller. The music is superb, rooted in ancient traditions, combined with some modern elements like electric guitar and drums that provide a new, high energy vision to the songs. The diverse rhythms range from irresistible West African dance beats to trance-like grooves.

Many of the musicians on Burkina Hakili are family members who deliver delightful performances on traditional instruments such as the bala (balafon), jembe, ngoni, and traditional flutes.    

Song topics include good fortune, forgiveness and patience, nighttime freedom, greed, migration of the Bwaba people and the African diaspora, and the strong role of women.

The lineup includes Kady Diarra on lead vocals, her daughter Assetou Koïta on backing vocals; her nephews Moussa Koïta on bass and backing vocals; Samba Diarra on percussion, flute, backing vocals; and Mabouro “Smifa” Diarra on balafon, ngoni, percussion, and backing vocals. The album also features versatile guitarist Thierry Servien, who is deeply by African music; and Olivier Kikteff, also on guitar.

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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.