JON BALDWIN recommends a provocative assertion of how working-class culture can rethink knowledge
Global Routes with Tony Burke: December 2, 2024
Two new releases from Burkina Faso and Niger, one from French-based Afro Latin The Bongo Hop, and rare Mexican bootlegs
Aboubakar Traore
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THE second album from Burkina Faso born Aboubakar Traore and his band Balima, Sababu (Zephyrus Records), continues to expand the boundaries of West African music, marrying Traore’s Burkinabe heritage with a blend of pan-African rhythms, soulful jazz and a dash of reggae.
Traore learned the intricacies of the kamele ngoni (the young man’s harp) and here he takes a political stance on the inequities faced in Africa, particularly its exploitation by the global north. Traore stresses the importance for African countries to regain their autonomy and power to prevent young people undertaking dangerous migration routes to the west.
The album contains a celebration of pride in Africa with music that transcends borders while remaining deeply rooted in Burkina Faso.
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