Self-Titled Summer | Djeli Moussa Diawara (1983, Guinea)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight should be David Bowie’s s/t (aka Space Oddity), but we’ve already had a Bowie spotlight this year and there’s a lot of s/t’s to get through. So, instead we’re going to jump to the next one, which is number 387 on The List, submitted by platenworm. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Point of origin(s): Born in 1962 into a family of Mandinka[1] griots (aka “djelis”/”jalis” i.e., West African storytellers and/or musicians) in Kankan, Guinea, Djeli Moussa learned to play the balafon (gourd-resonated xylophone), kora (West African stringed instrument similar to a lute and harp), and guitar at an early age. After moving to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire at the age of 18, Djeli Moussa first played in restaurants and with other musicians such as his half-brother Mory Kanté (previously vocalist and balafon player in the Malian Rail Band) and for Moustapha on his 1982 disco/funk album I Love Abidjan. In 1982 he began his solo career by recording this, his debut album, first released the following year by Paris-based label Tangent. The album would later be reissued by various labels, some with the Anglicized spelling “Jali Musa Jawara” and/or other titles (Yasimika, Yasimika [Abidjan 1982], or Direct From West Africa).
- Tasting notes: Griot, kora, balafon, acoustic guitar, beautiful chorus vocals
- Standout track: “Haïdara” but, also, all of them (there’s only 4) – they’re all magic.
- Where are they now?: Djeli Moussa moved to Paris and has continued to release a number of solo albums (the most recent being the 2020 Par Amour) featuring his preferred 32-stringed kora (traditionally it is a 21-string instrument), incorporating various styles such as flamenco and blues with traditional Mandinka sounds. He also founded the Kora Jazz Trio in 2002, which continued on as the Kora Jazz Band after Djeli Moussa left in 2010.
- Websites: Wikipedia, YouTube channel
Happy listening!
Apologies if this is the wrong word – I’ve seen Mandinka used interchangeably with Mandingo, so I’ve just stuck with Mandinka here other than using both in the tags. ↩︎#1980s #AfricanMusic #balafon #DjeliMoussaDiawara #griot #Guinea #JaliMusaJawara #kora #Mandingo #Mandinka #music #musicDiscovery #WestAfricanMusic