Kakande – Dununya (Jumbie Records, 2008)
Guinean musician Famoro Dioubate is one of the leading bala (also known as balafon) players in North America. Based in New York, the jeli (griot) musician has performed with numerous West African expatriate musicians such as Mamadou Diabate, Abdoulaye Diabate and others. Now he he leads a band called Kakande that features the West African xylophone as the lead instrument.
Kakande features African and American musicians, who combine the Mande sounds of West Africa with American jazz. The band’s title comes from Dioubate’s home village.
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.