N’FALY KOUYATE, the vocalist, kora and balafon player with the Afro-Celt Sound System, hails from Guinea in West Africa. 

Dubbed the “Jimi Hendrix Of The Kora,” after moving to Belgium in 1994 he joined the Afro-Celts singing and playing the kora in a band that mixed electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music attracting Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel to take the stage with them.

In February this year N’Faly did a solo UK tour to promote his single Premier Pas and to prepare for the release for the release of his new solo set Re-Generation Part One.

The Morning Star up caught with him to ask about the genesis of this Afro-Celtic fusion. 

“Since its foundation in 1995 it was a  meeting of two great cultures — Mandingo (West Africa) and Celtic (Ireland) — that has been the basis of the group’s success. Despite the death of founder Simon Emmerson in 2023, the band continues to evolve, releasing singles in January and  March and we will be touring the UK this autumn.” 

N’Faly’s recent single Premiers Pas is a political call for ”the total autonomy for Africa” and he explained what he means: 

“African nations want to chart their own course, free from foreign interference and away from Western influences. It’s the aspiration for authentic democracy, where the voices of the people are heard, and where national institutions are strong and independent. Africa is rich in cultural diversity, natural resources, and human potential. I believe in an autonomous and prosperous Africa, where every individual can thrive, where peace, stability, and justice prevail, and where sustainable development is a tangible reality.

“That’s why we chose South Africa to film the video to publicise the single. It’s the homeland of Mandela, and South Africa, with its tumultuous history and transition to democracy, embodies a global symbol of tolerance, perseverance, and hope. Mandela himself is an iconic figure, not only for South Africa but for the world at large. His struggle for freedom and justice has inspired generations and represents an ideal for a united, autonomous, and sovereign Africa.” 

Electric guitar fans should try the new volume in the Bongo Joe label’s Azerbaijani Gitara series Azerbaijani Gitara Volume Two (BJR103) featuring Rəhman Memmedli. The gitara culture developed in Azerbaijan in the Soviet era and this set showcases the guitarist’s reinterpretation of traditional Caucasian folk music mixed with electric guitar distortion which has been described as “pure Soviet guitar.”

During the oil boom years Azerbaijani musicians began experimenting with different instrumentation and traditions, such as incorporating instruments like the tar (a long-necked, waisted lute) or kamancheh (bowed string instrument). Czechoslavakian “Jolana” electric guitars arrived in the 1960s and become synonymous with the gitara culture. Məmmədli built a formidable career for himself, playing weddings, making TV appearances, and recording cassettes for small local labels with tracks from these releases included here. Trust me — Jimmy Page has nothing on this guy.

Finally, Swaken (Real World Records CDRW 295) by Moroccan band Bab L’Bluz features psychedelic blues and funk mixed with the propulsive rhythms of northern Africa. 

Recorded at Real World’s Wiltshire studios and in Morocco, the birthplace of Yousra Mansour the band’s singer and main songwriter, who writes and sings in Darija, the Moroccan-Arabic dialect. 

She says the band has adapted their sound for festival crowds: “We added more instruments. More courage and more fire,” says Yousra. 

The single from the album Imazighen promotes the idea of ethnic diversity in Morocco and opposes racism and fascism and a killer track is Iwaiwa Funk, played on the electric mandole and sung in the higher-pitched vocal style found in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains.

Regeneration Part One is released by Namun Music, namun-music.com