bibiafrica Management

At the bibiafrica bureau you can do as well the booking for all bibiafrica-artists for live-events and workshops (except Ballaké Sissoko).

	Please contact: Dieter Weberpals or Katharina Fehr
	Tel Fax e-Mail	0049-911-553510 0049-911-581119 weberpals@bibiafrica.de

For further infos + concert press reviews please click one of the following links (listen as well to the demos at the radio-player on top of the page):

Find a band:

The Argile-Kinkéliba-Project (Mali, Gambia, Denmark, Germany, USA)
DEZA XXL (Ivory Coast)
Sona Diabaté & Argile (Guinea, Mali, Ghana, Germany, USA)
Sona Diabaté & Guinée Band (Guinea, Mali)
Kunta Kinté (Senegal, France)
Distro Kuomboka (Zambia)
Minyeshu & Chewata (Ethiopia, Sudan)
Ashitey Nsotse & Kassoum Traoré (Ghana, Mali)
Basiro Suso (Gambia)
Maciré Sylla (Guinea, Switzerland)

Deza XXL

was born in 1965 in Grand-Bassam (Ivory Coast), a city located on the coast of Abidjan, on the road leading to Ghana. His real name being Ehui Niamké Ezoua Louis Philippe René, DEZA XXL (refering to his hot temperament and his imposing stature) is from the N'zema ethnic group (still called the Appolo), the majority tribe in the South east of the Ivory Coast. He got acquinted with music at a very tender age through his mother, a singer in a religous choral group.

He was 21 at the time, when he became second with his band participating in one of the biggest Ivorian radio competitions, and felt the pressing need to migrate in order to pursue his training with more confirmed musicians, but also and above all to join "Meiway", his brother who was busy making himself known.

In 1998 he landed in France and soon became part and parcel of the group "Again-Toff", a jazz rock group where he spent 3 years. He later joined "French-Jah" in 1993 as bass guitarist and he participated as well as a chorist in Meiway's 200% and 300% Zablazo albums.

It was in 1994 and thanks to his first album "Adeba-Danger", that he had the opportunity to reveal his qualities as a composer and singer. This record, entirely produced in paris, was greeted with great success in Africa and made an impressive incursion both in Europe and the west indies.

After ten years of musical and vocal maturity, the moment was ripe for DEZA XXL to make a comeback with "la preuve par 3". It is a variety album drawing from Zablazo sources (urban and popular ivorian music rooted in tradition), afro jazz, High-Life, Gospel and the peasant band of southern coast of the Ivory Coast.

Greatly passionated by rhymes, DEZA XXL, proves once again through this third album, of his capacity to communicate his word power. In titles such as: "Moussa et le commisaire" and "C'est gaté", DEZA XXL exel in his command of the French language, elaborating striking rhymes in songs in Appolo.

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Distro Kuomboka

Music from Zambia / Kalindula Country - Stars in Zambia, in Holland very popular, "Distro Kuomboka" now starts to spread out to the other European countries to make them dance to their wonderful combination of relaxed Congolese rumba with South African township jive and Zimbabwean chimurenga music. A co-production in between bibiafrica and the partners from Holland "Mosaique Vivant".

Named after a one-string barrel bass Zambia has a popular music of his own called Kalindula. Zambian guitar pop, the modern equvalent of Klindulam has a sweet melancholy guitar sound and a driving rhythmbeat simular to neighbouring styles like Congolese rumba, South African township jive and Zimbabwean chimurenga music. In terms of populariy, however, Kalindula does not match up to those sounds, and so far it remains a footnote in the history of African popular music.

In the seventies the president of the country gives Zambian music a new impulse declaring that ninety percent of radio airplay has to be reserved for Zambian music and restricts radio airplay for foreign music to ten percent. As a result of his statement a new development in popular Zambian music was born. Musicians who were stimulated to update their own music started to play Zamrock, a crossover from traditional Kalilndula and western popmusic. While the music scene was doing well in the eighties, high inflation and a shortage of vinyl scuppered the record market.

Audio tapes became the only vailable format. However recording and distribution presented a major problem for young bands like Disto Kuomboka, who were often confined to play in hotels and beerhalls in the compounds or townships. At that time Kalindula music was updated by bands like Amayenge and Shalawamba. Distro Koumboka is a beautiful example of a contemporary Zambian band who is modernising its music by rediscovering the soul of Kalindula. With their new album Toto Mitala Distro Kuomboka gives Zambia back what it deserves, its own identity.

The lyrics in different vernaculars tell us about daily problems in Zambia with a critical reference to the traditional culture. The bands history goes back to 1977 when vocalist Chali Musenge, guitarist Andy Mutafu, drummer Al Darlington Chisenge and late bass player Eziam Kombe start a band named The Destroyers. In 1979 their first single Leya was released. Since 1982 the band is working as Distro Kuomboka (meaning 'right variety sounds coming out of the water'). Their discographic line up in Zambia includes 25 singles and one album Dyonko (1990). The band is currently based in Ndola in the Copperbelt Porvince in Zanbia, close to the southern border of Congo.

Line-Up:

• Chali Bupe Musenge, vocals
• Al Nsaishi Chisenga , drums/vocals
• Felix Kangwa Mwila , rhythm guitar/African drums
• Mirriam Milika Tembo, vocals
• Andy Lyandisha Mutafu, lead guitar
• Kebby Siwilanji Siame, guitar/keybords/ African drums
• Justin DAkala Dakala, Bass/African drums
• Beauty Mwaba B. Musonda,vocals

Discography:

• Twalebana (1997, Matje Sjeuve, The Netherlands)
• Distro Kuomboka CD Single (1999, Mosaique Vivant, The Netherlands)

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Kunta Kinté

Born 15 years ago, the band Kunta Kinté, turns around Amadou M'Baye and his nephew Badara M'Baye. The eldest brother Cheikh M'Baye Baka initiated them to singing at very tender age.

The Senegalese and the Langue d'Oc (from Occitania, a dialect spoken in a region of southern France) singing formation leads us into the midst of the Griot's world, in the mystical village of Saraba in Senegal.

Trough a sang in Wolof, French, Occitan and other Senegalese traditional languages repertory, Kunta Kinté gives to Mbalax (Senegalese music) an international dimension and creates an immensily rich music that gives to singing a very unique position: it is a fine blend of voice and rhythm, combining the blues bass timbres and silvery voices from Sahel.

Listening to their latest album, the ambience brings now in Béziers during the Feria, now right in the middle of the desert among the tuaregs drinking tea. We are given a tour over the Wolof ethnic community and its Sercre, Mandingue and Moorish influence.

The lyrics pay a tribute to Senegal, their native country and Languedoc, the reception land.

Kunta Kinté demonstrate here their commitment as the product of a cultural crossbreeding evidenced by their fetish track, "Occitan' Africa", which brings out the blend from three cultural backgrounds: Africa-America-Occitania.

Line-Up:

• Amadou M'Baye - lead-vocal, perc
• Badara M'Baye - lead-vocal, perc
• Séga Seck - drums
• Benilde Foko - bass
• Franck Nicolas - trumpet
• Pascal Brole - saxophone
• Christophe Le Breton - keyboards
• Fabrice Diallo - guitar
• Thierry Adama - keyboards

(also possible in a smaller formation for club-concerts)

CD Kunta Kinté - Occitan' Africa - published in France by africa productions/Paris, will be published by bibiafrica for Germany in spring 2002.

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The Argile/Kinkéliba Project

Imagine the raw energy of rock, funk and traditional African music combined in one band with fierce original African drums, a swinging jazz-rock guitar, an extremely funky bass, a brilliant drummer, the expressive sound of the Peulh-flute and the enticing lyrical voice of the kora (African harp) . . . on top of that one of the most impressing female African voices. This group is expressing the very soul of the fusion between western and African music.

Impelling rhythms and musical poetry are the characteristics of The Argile/Kinkéliba Project, a brand new crossover act led by one of Denmarks most influential bass players, Moussa Diallo and by Germany's very popular flutist, Dieter Weberpals featuring one of the greatest voices of Africa, Sona Diabaté from Guinea. Coming from a multicultural background with roots in Guinea, Mali, Denmark, Gambia, Germany and USA, these musicians and composers initiated The Argile/Kinkéliba Project. This diverse constellation reflects the cosmopolitan reality of today and challenges cultural traditions in music.

Line-Up:


• Sona Diabaté - voc, acc. guitar (Guinea)
• Moussa Diallo - bass, voc (Mali/Denmark)
• Dieter Weberpals - flutes, keyb. (Germany)
• Kassoum Traore - djembé (Mali)
• Basiru Suso - kora (Gambia)
• Mikkel Nordsoe - acc + e-guitar (Denmark)
• Charles Blackledge - drums, djembé (USA)

Moussa Diallo was born February 17th 1955 in Paris, France and grew up in Bamako, Mali. He is currently residing in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has performed with his Kinkéliba Project at festivals in Europe, Africa and Asia and has released two CDs, "The Kékéliba Project" (1999) and "The Kinkéliba Project Live at the Copenhagen JazzHouse" (2001).

Kinkéliba is the name of an African healing plant used in traditional medicine, as well as the title of one of Moussa Diallo's compositions praising the healing virtues of the Kinkéliba plant.

Dieter Weberpals' Argile is one of the most renowned German world music projects. The band is performing since more then 10 years all over Europe and Africa. They've published four CDs "Koko" (1991), "Idjo" (1995), "Live In Africa & Europe" (1998) and "Mandingo Festival" (2000). They've also been frequently on tour in Europe with leading African vocalists like Sona Tata Condé, Aicha Kouyaté, as well as with Sona Diabaté, who is also singing on the last two Argile CDs.

Argile is the French term for "earth", especially the healing clay.

Sona Diabaté a traditional griot singer and modern singer/songwriter, was born in Tiro, Guinea in 1959. Hadj Djeli Fodé Diabaté, passed on their family's music legacy by teaching Sona to sing and to play the balafon. Her music training included singing with and learning from Miriam Makeba, who was living in Guinea at the time. She became worldwide popular with Africa's well known and first all female band, the "Amazones de Guinée" (CD "Les Amazones de Guinée - Au coeur de Paris (1976) published in the US as "Girls from Guinea").

She did so far 3 Solo-CDs "Sons de la savanne (1983), "Kankele-Ti (1988) and "Garé-Garé (1996) which climbed to third place on the European World Music charts. Her new album "Tounkana" will be released in summer 2002. She performed worldwide including Europe's biggest Africa festival at Wurzburg /Germany. Sona Diabaté's presence is a must on every compilation of West African music and is part of many popular samplers of African music, like Network-Guide to African Music (UK), African World Beat Vol.2 (Germany), Amina Mundi (USA/together with Argile), along side Youssou N'Dour, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita and Oumou Sangaré.

Some additional information about the musicians


• Kassoum Traoré - djembé (Mali) was born on August 14, 1979 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He grew up in a large family of traditional drummers and began learning to play the djembé at the age of five. Since 1994 he worked with famous African bands like "Yelemba" and famous singer Mahawa Traoré (MC on African market "Mahawa Traoré " (1997). In 1998 he joined Argile for their European tour. He played with Argile on their Mandingo Festival CD as well as with Madagascar singer/guitarist Haja Madagascar, Guinean singer Sona Diabaté, and most recently with Ghanean drummer, Ashitey Nsotse on the percussion-CD "Bush Taxi from Bamako to Accra" (2001), which climbed immediately to No.3 Africa Charts in Holland and No.6 in Africa-Iwalewa-Reader's Charts in Germany.
  
  
• Basiru Suso - kora (Gambia) grew up in Gambia as a descendant of the people, where he got his first musical education. Members of the griot people have been serving residing kings and spiritual leaders as advisors. In numerous generations the Suso family has belonged to one of the leading kora players and storytellers in the Manding Empire. Since 1997 Basiru lives in Denmark and works as a professional musician. The kora is a 21-string instrument, a bit similar to a harp-lute. Traditionally the kora is used as a ceremonial instrument at occasions such as weddings and name giving. Basiru Suso graduated from the National Institute of Arts in Bamako (Mali). He has played with many different groups in Denmark and released a solo CD in 1999 (Suso Kunda). Basiru participated at festivals in Pakistan and Indonesia 2001.
  
  
• Mikkel Nordsoe - acc + e-guitar (Denmark) was born in Copenhagen 29th of October 1955, played as studio musician on about 200 albums, film scores, theater music etc and has played amongst others with John Abercrombie, Habib Koité, Johny Diany, Bo Stief, Palle Mikkelborg and Marilyn Mazur. He has toured in Scandinavia, Europe, Canada, Brazil, Morocco and Ghana. He also teaches guitar at the conservatories in Copenhagen, Århus and Odense.
  
  
• Charles Blackledge - drums, djembé (USA) was born 1966 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He moved as a young boy together with his German mother to Germany, where he first started to study trumpet and later on playing drum set. He was on tour with several jazz-rock-bands and musicals before he joined Argile in 1991. He has been performing with many renowned artists like Ramesh Shotham, Famoudou Konaté, and Oumou Sangaré. He is studying African rhythms since 10 years and learned to play djembé with Barry Sangaré from Mali and has developed a unique style of integrating African feeling into modern drumming. He is as well renowned as composer and arranger and has published several scores on percussion music. He recorded with Argile on their last 3 CDs.
  
  
• Moussa Diallo bass player, singer and composer (Mali/Denmark) was born February 17th 1955 in Paris, France, brought up in Bamako, Mali and is currently residing in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1974, when fusion between western and traditional African music was still just a wish to be fulfilled, a young man from Mali found himself in Copenhagen with an electric bass. Moussa Diallo had left his native country to seek out possibilities in the far north. The oldest son of a Danish mother and a Malian father earned his first musical experiences playing in various dancing bands in Mali.
  
  On his arrival in Denmark this young bass player immediately captured the attention of the established Danish rock scene with his fierce, grooving and always convincing approach to his instrument.
  
  Moussa Diallo has influenced many Danish bass players. He is an extremely respected and admired music personality of the Danish music scene, not only because of his achievements as a musician, but also because of the human warmth and gentleness that he projects, a rare experience amongst top musicians. So far Moussa Diallo has released four solo albums, "Diallo" in 1992, "Amora" in 1997, "The Kékéliba Project" in 1999 and "The Kinkéliba Project Live at Copenhagen JazzHouse" in 2001, all of them showing his diversified approach to music. You can clearly sense his African roots in his music. You also hear influences from artists like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Prince. But above all, you have the opportunity to listen to a great bass player laying down the grooves combining sincere feelings with sublime musicianship.
  
  
• Dieter Weberpals - flutes, keyb. (Germany) was born August 21st 1954 in Nürnberg, Germany. He studied classical flute at the Nürnberg Conservatory, then jazz-flute with Dieter Bihlmeier and African Peulh-flute with Soungalo Coulibaly at Burkina Faso. He recorded 4 CDs with his band Argile and as guest musician on many recordings for example with El Houssaine Kili (Morocco), Embryo, Weberpals-Hofmann-Duo and has been touring in Europe and Africa with many different world-jazz-projects. He is also composing for modern flute quartets and leader of the flute quintet "lotz of flutes".