The ngoni is a traditional West African lute widely believed to be an ancestor of the banjo, and Bassekou Kouyate can seriously rock it. Typically, ngoni players sit down while they play, but in 1985, Bassekou Kouyate equipped his instrument with a strap so he could perform more like a guitarist. He says: “The ngoni is a great instrument. You can play any sort of music with it. We don’t have to stay in the back. That’s impossible.” The Malian virtuoso leads Ngoni Ba, a group that has four (!) ngonis. They’ve released two albums — Segu Blue back in 2007 and I Speak Fula in 2009, both on Sub Pop — and they have lots of North American shows scheduled for October and November.
Dates:
10.13.11 - Durham, NC - Reynolds Industries Theater
10.14.11 - Durham, NC - Reynolds Industries Theater
10.15.11 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Folk Festival
10.16.11 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Folk Festival
10.18.11 - Mexico City, Mexico - El Plaza Condesa
10.20.11 - New York, NY - Lincoln Center
10.21.11 - Arden, DE - Gild Hall
10.22.11 - Black Mountain, NC - Lake Eden Arts Festival
10.23.11 - Black Mountain, NC - Lake Eden Arts Festival
10.26.11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Museum of Art
10.30.11 - San Francisco, CA - YBCA Forum
10.31.11 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre
11.02.11 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
11.04.11 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Museum of Art
11.05.11 - Atlanta, GA - Rialto Theater
11.10.11 - Vancouver, BC - Red Room on Richards
11.11.11 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
11.12.11 - Seattle, WA - University of Washington
11.16.11 - Dayton, OH - University of Dayton
11.17.11 - Louisville, KY - Clifton Center
11.18.11 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
11.19.11 - Hamilton, OH - Miami University
11.24.11 - Montreal, QC - L’astral
11.25.11 - Quebec, QC - Palais Montcalm
11.27.11 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
• Bassekou Kouyate: http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate
• Sub Pop: http://www.subpop.com