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Hama Sankare - NIAFUNKE

LINER NOTES:

Hama Sankare, legend of Mali’s desert blues, releases Niafunke, his second brilliant album recorded March 2018 in Bamako. Sankare brought into the studio dynamic young headliners, Oumar Konate, Dramane Toure and Makan Camara along with long time colleagues Afel Bocoum, Yoro Cisse and Kande Sissoko to forge a set of blazing tracks that breath new energy into the genre and breaking old formulas all the while honoring traditional roots.

Niafunke, a city in Mali along the Niger River near Timbuktu is where Sankare continues to live with his family. He, Bocoum and Cisse were contemporary collaborators with Ali Farka Toure whose home was also there and they can be heard on many of Farka’s albums.

Sankare’s spirit engages everyone he meets. He has absorbed musical influences from around the world which he brings to these 10 tracks.

This is his second release on the Clermont Music label. The album is available in CD and vinyl. Some of the tracks were edited for radio and vinyl formats. The vinyl includes an instrumental version of the track Baba Gomni in which the blazing musicians are featured in full force.

PRESS:

"Mr. Sankare blazes bright with this collection of original tracks with a few traditional Malian tunes thrown in for good measure and a track co-written with vocalist Afel Bocoum. Whether you’re new to the wonders of Malian music or are already a devoted fan, Niafunke is brimming over with Malian goodness." – TJ Nelson, World Music Central

https://worldmusiccentral.org/2019/05/20/first-class-malian-music-from-hama-sankare/

“Niafunke, recorded at Studio Bogolan in Bamako, brings together traditional and contemporary Malian music to produce a fine album with lots of soul. Sankaré balances acoustic and electric compositions well and the clear recording helps the listener hear the intricate details. Sankaré is not just preserving this music; he is passionately bringing it to the next generation.” - Alex Brown, RootsWorld http://rootsworld.com/reviews/hsankare-19.shtml?fbclid=IwAR22OLI0D9XjlhuVOjw8rLD5B_iCa-mkhPt-Lbo01HCCSPm-YLZM5NtByxw

“What is impressive here is that none of this feels imitative. The ensemble is big and rich, the range of rhythms satisfying, and the sense of freshness and camaraderie palpable. Kudos in particular to (Oumar) Konate for evoking (Ali) Farka’s spirit on guitar without ever imitating him.” – Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide 5 March 2019 http://afropop.org/articles/a-trio-of-desert-rock-albums-1

"Sankaré has listened carefully to his teachers, as the enthusiastic musician proves with a new collection of hypnotic desert blues, which on the one hand is based on the great Malian music tradition, but on the other hand sounds modern and fresh." - Bastiann Springer, mixedworldmusic.com https://bit.ly/2XLCMAQ

"...hypnotic desert blues, which on the one hand is indebted to the great Malian music tradition, but on the other hand sounds modern and fresh." - Bas Springer, Lust for Life #90 **** review

“Steeped in the desert blues that were (Ali Farka) Toure’s forte, Sankare marries traditional rhythms to a more contemporary rock sound. “ – Nigel Williamson, Songlines #147