BuzzFlash Reviews

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

To Listen to Samples of This Beautiful Music from Mali, Go to the "Afriki" Homepage and Return to BuzzFlash for Purchase.

From Putumayo/Cumbancha Records:

"After a six-year absence from the recording studio, Malian guitarist Habib Koité and his band Bamada return this fall with a stunning new album, Afriki. With more than 250,000 albums sold around the globe, an appearance on the popular television show Late Night with David Letterman, a duet with Bonnie Raitt on her 2002 album Silver Lining and nearly a thousand concerts on some of the world’s most prestigious stages under his belt, Habib Koité is one of Africa’s most beloved and popular musicians. Afriki features an appealing set of songs that reflect Habib’s unique and innovative approach to the diverse styles of Malian music.

Few African artists have received the sales and media exposure of Habib Koité. Called “Mali’s biggest pop star” by Rolling Stone (in an infamous article in which Bonnie Raitt compared Habib to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn), Habib has also received raves from widely-read publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. Just this June, Habib graced a 2-page photo spread in the pages of Vanity Fair magazine. While sales of African music CDs generally struggle to break the 10,000-unit mark, Habib has defied expectations by selling more than 100,000 copies of his last two studio albums, putting him in the upper echelons of world music artist sales."

About the artist, Habib Koité:

"One of Africa’s most exciting performers, Habib Koité plays music that reflects the diverse musical traditions of his Malian homeland while remaining connected to his cosmopolitan life experiences. Born in 1958 in Khassonké, near the border of Senegal, he developed his unique guitar style accompanying his griot mother. Accompanied by his band Bamada, Koité has released a number of successful and critically acclaimed albums, including Ma Ya and Baro on Putumayo. In 2002, Koité recorded a duet with Bonnie Raitt, one of his biggest supporters, for her album Silver Lining. Over the past 10 years, Habib and his band have performed more than 600 concerts for adoring audiences in far-flung locations such as Japan, Australia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan. With their engaging stage presence and expert musicianship, Habib Koité and Bamada have earned a spot in the upper echelon of African artists."

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS