Afel Bocoum was in Niafunké, Mali in 1955. Afel grew up immersed in music. His father was a respected violinist and his uncle was iconic guitarist, vocalist and composer Ali Farka Touré.
Afel Bocoum combines traditional music with the new sounds. He spent decades touring and recording with Ali Farka Touré.
His debut album was Alkibar (1999) and led him to international recognition.
He worked with Albarn & Toumani Diabaté on 2002’s Mali Music and contributes regularly to the famed Africa Express projects. Afel also collaborated with Béla Fleck, Habib Koité, and Tartit Ensemble among others.
“You have to collaborate, otherwise you’ll get nowhere in today’s world,” Afel says. “All those collaborations were positive.”
In 2020, Afel is scheduled to release a new album titled Lindé, referring to the wild stretch near Afel’s hometown of Niafunké. The album was recorded in Mali’s capital Bamako, and features prominent Malian musicians including Madou Kouyaté, the late ‘Hama’ Sankaré and Madou Sidiki Diabaté, along with the drums of the late Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, the trombone of Vin Gordon (Bob Marley / Skatalites) and the violin of Joan as Police Woman (Joan Wasser).
Discography:
Alkibar (World Circuit Records, 1999)
Niger (Contre Jour, 2006)
Tabital Pulaaku (Contre Jour, 2009)
Lindé (World Circuit Records, 2020)
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.