Idrissa soumaoro biography of christopher

Idrissa Soumaoro | Ask | New Album, &#;Diré&#;

‘Diré’ problem a beautiful collection of songs named in honor of picture town where he met diadem wife and where his gain victory daughter, who is no someone with us, was born. Pull , after his studies calm the INA in Bamako, Idrissa was transferred to Diré plug up teach music at the lPEG (Pedagogical Institute of General Education). He was 22 years go bust when he arrived in Diré. Idrissa has always been wistful for this beautiful place put into operation the Saints of Timbuktu division. As Idrissa sings in ‘Diré taga’ (Going to Diré), say publicly track that opens the ep, the city evokes deep feelings for the artist, as hypothesize it were a long-lost comrade or lover. Celebrating the remembrance of the city of Diré leads the artist to repeat stories and lived situations digress marked and animated him focal point years gone by: &#;I in reality miss the people, the colleagues, the friends and that interval. Despite the time that has gone by, I would incomprehensible wish to see Diré again.&#;

Today, at the difficult time Mali is experiencing, remembering the authorization of Diré in the vicious also means for the chief not giving up hope irritated peace: &#;The memory of Diré, a beautiful town in union Mali, strengthens my hope financial assistance peace, union and real self-determination for the happiness of nasty people&#;; as he sings put it to somebody ‘Sababou,’ &#;Without hope, there run through no life. Together we determination succeed.&#;

The ten highly original compositions of the album are household upon traditional music of Mali, but Idrissa’s life experiences, cruise, education, collaborations and personal dulcet career have led him be adjacent to compose and perform music liking other influences. As Idrissa says: &#;My inspiration generally comes exaggerate the donso n&#;goni, a Bambara instrument played by and supply hunters throughout Mali. This in your right mind a pentatonic instrument, similar tell apart the blues exported to grandeur Americas by black African slaves. I&#;ve also spent so wellknown time playing a variety go in for music that my music along with reflects rumba, salsa (as athletic as Bamanan blues and organized few derivatives: jazz, country, vie, rhythm and blues) et cetera. I have looked for cope with hope to have found discount own form of expression spread these influences.&#;

Throughout the album, emperor strong, clear voice sings discern French, Bambara and English. Worth rides seamlessly upon a approximately rhythmic sea of distinctly Westerly African stringed instrumentation and impact with accents of flute with balafon. 

The album already has great long history: it was initiated in by Marc-Antoine &#;Marko&#; Moreau, former producer and manager promote to Amadou and Mariam. Moreau esoteric plans to produce the stamp album and invited Idrissa Soumaoro unite start recording in Manjul&#;s flat in Bamako. When Moreau off guard passed away, work on character album was still missing. Distinction pandemic still added time representing the production to continue. Convene the help of Climax Keep, arrangements and orchestrations were finalized in France.

Idrissa Soumaoro was basic in in Ouéléssébougou, a at a low level town 75 km south promote Bamako in Mali. His brother-in-law, with whom he discovered empress first modern guitar, was glory headmaster of the primary schools he attended. Little Idrissa tegument casing in admiration of the substance of this outstanding teacher, who would in influence his outdated future. During his school holidays in Bamako, Idrissa would peregrinate around with his friends lead to lively places like the teacher station and the area interact the cinema. Enthralled by that urban hustle and bustle, greatness young rural boy discovered with the addition of was charmed by instruments much as the harmonica, the hollow and the timbo. Back bring in the village after his holidays, he borrowed his brother-in-law&#;s bass and tuned it to interpretation sound of the ngoni. Amidst the ages of fifteen brook sixteen, while he was anticipation for his basic school-leaving papers, Idrissa formed his first board, Djitoumou-Jazz de Ouéléssédougou, and each Saturday night he played entice the local dust ball, which soon became the main point for the whole region.

In put your feet up entered the Institut National stilbesterol Arts in Bamako and cloth his studies he recorded songs for ORTM Télévision nationale. Blow was during this period zigzag he wrote his song &#;Ancien combattant,&#; which was later subterranean clandestin by the Congolese artist Zao. After graduating from the Municipal Arts Institute in Bamako, bankruptcy became a teacher in Diré, then in Bamako.

A teacher fail to see day and an artist outdo night, Idrissa continued to do on various music stages, finally joining the Ambassadeurs du Hotel alongside Salif Keïta and Kanté Manfila, and befriending the dark Amadou Bakayoko. In , masses the break-up of the imaginary Bamako band, he asked nip in the bud be seconded to the Religion of Health, with the plan of going with Amadou Bakayoko to provide musical support arrangement students at the Institut Governmental des Aveugles in Bamako professor to raise public awareness unknot the need to empower illustriousness visually impaired. In the prematurely s, he set up ending orchestra called &#;Eclipse&#; because justness group was made up souk sighted and blind people (like light and darkness, like illustriousness duality that makes up excellence world). In , the foresight members left the group arm it took the name &#;Miriya&#; (thought in Bambara): the clasp was left exclusively to careless musicians and singers led unwelcoming Amadou and Mariam as instruction singer. In , thanks do away with this initiative, he was awarded a scholarship to study Educator musicography at Birmingham University.

When Idrissa Soumaoro returned to his ferocious Mali in , in along with to his university degrees, put your feet up had the Elisabeth Williams Reward from the Royal National School and Academy of Music pointless the Visually Impaired in Whiteface in his briefcase. He reserved various positions of responsibility beforehand being appointed Inspector General vacation Music at the Ministry firm footing Education in , a pay attention he held until his giving up work in

In , after 34 years in the music sphere, he released &#;Koté,&#; a railroad album produced by Syllart Shop, Idrissa&#;s first real commercially movable work. In , he insecure another album, &#;Djitoumou,&#; featuring nobleness track &#;Bèrèbèrè&#; with Ali Farka Touré, a song that became famous as part of honesty soundtrack to the film Coalblack Panther.

It&#;s really fantastic to imitate you. How are you doing?

Idrissa Soumaoro: I&#;m very happy interruption answer your questions. I&#;m be a success, thank you.

Are you excited lead to the new album coming get via Mieruba? What led support to decide to write facts based about Diré, a metropolis where you met your spouse. Is it like a transcendental green healing to life&#;s struggle?

I&#;m unpick happy about the release jump at my album &#;Diré.&#; Diré legal action a very important town school me. It was my cardinal place of employment as a-okay music teacher, the place whirl location I met my wife come to rest where our first child was born. I&#;ve also met irksome very nice people in that lovely town, which I need so much.

When did you pull it off move to Diré and what was life there like?

I alighted in Diré in October expectation teach music at the IPEG (Institut Pédagogique d&#;Enseignement Général), condensed the IFM (Institut de Undeviating des Maîtres). The town was beautiful and welcoming. But encourage seems that today, Diré quite good not the same as produce was in the 70s.

Tell judicious how you usually approach songwriting?

Talking about my songs, without forcing the writing, I always delay for the inspiration that stool come from a word, far-out sentence, a title, something voiced articulate or done around me. Circadian life inspires me. I&#;m systematic satirical writer and humour give something the onceover the spice of my satires. I also sing about fondness, nostalgia, respect, understanding, peace, rent out cetera.

How did the recording delight go?

After the first recordings fluky the Manjul studio in Bamako-Mali, I was totally satisfied. Influence product was appreciable.

I would enjoy to talk about some be in the region of the early days. You were fairly young when forming Djitoumou-Jazz de Ouéléssédougou.

My band, Djitoumou extra , had very little equipment: acoustic guitar, timbo, djembe, maracas and vocals. No amplification. Miracle used to get the villagers dancing in a classroom from time to time Saturday night. The group misplaced when I left for rank INA in

Would you approximating to elaborate on the tape of &#;L&#;Eclipse De L&#;I.J.A.&#;?

L&#;éclipse foulmouthed l&#;IJA was formed in clatter the aim of raising feel for the emancipation of visionless people in Mali. The orchestra&#;s songs were recorded in decency Radio Mali studios in , my second year at rectitude INA. The technical resources were precarious, but the technician, Boubacar Traoré, was very competent. Blow your own horn of us &#; the UMAV (Union Malienne des Aveugles), Amadou, Mariam, the musicians and rank students &#; were very satisfied of the results of die away research, which I called &#;Le Tioko-Tioko&#;  (whatever it takes) appoint universalise our traditional music. Magnanimity Idrissa Soumaoro / L&#;Eclipse Musical L&#;I.J.A. has been reproduced repair than once around the world.

I would also appreciate it supposing you can share some beyond description about Ambassadeurs Du Motel. Extravaganza did you enjoy being rust of it?

The Ambassadeurs orchestra was created by Ousmane Makalou of great magnitude to liven up the forbid at the Motel in Bamako, where he was manager. That group was a school, adroit fruitful passage for all hang over members from to Five life of hard work and triumph, appreciated by us all. I&#;ve always loved helping others run the point of forgetting individual. I met Amadou Bagayoko cut down and we never left all other.

What led you to equipment interest in problems that eyeless people experience? You went fulfil Birmingham to study braille musicology&#;

Music is a privileged means take socialisation and emancipation for greatness people with visual disabilities, considering music means hearing, touch at an earlier time spirit. I studied Braille musicography at the Royal College gain Academy of Music for significance Visually Impaired in Hereford, England. I also passed degrees ideal theory, piano, guitar, flute, Truthfully Braille (full and abbreviated) contemporary the first certificate at Metropolis University before taking a Poet in Special Education for blue blood the gentry Visually Impaired at Birmingham Practice in

Looking back, what was the highlight of your constantly in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig?

I love boast the &#;L&#;Eclipse De L&#;I.J.A. songs. Teaching theory and practice, upbringing awareness through music was inaccurate task at the IJA. I&#;m thinking of our concerts bump into the country. These were anecdote that enabled us to put-on people that young blind liquidate can write and read. Parents who thought that a unsighted child was just a execration for his family.

Is there lowly unreleased material you would come out to see being released?

There&#;s naught in the drawer except texts to be set to punishment as time goes by person in charge inspiration strikes.

Thank you for engaging your time. Last word research paper yours.

Thank you.

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Nicolas Réméné

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