Afropop Classic July 19, 2012
Roots Reinvented in Mali & Egypt
Grammy nominated ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate and his 8 piece band Ngoni Ba wowed the crowd recently at Lincoln Center. Ngoni Ba re-wired the ancient ngoni to create a dense, 21st century sound. We'll hear the concert and talk with Bassekou about hunters, his precocious son, and his future plans. We hear a very different take on the ngoni from Sidi Touré who made his U.S. debut recently at BAM in Brooklyn. Sidi Touré also has the honor of being the first artist here from the legendary city of Gao in northern Mali, the seat the ancient Songhai empire. Then we go to Egypt to hear how artists from Port Said are making new music for instruments that go back to the time of the Pharoahs. [Produced by Sean Barlow. Originally aired 11-09-2011]
