« Asro » (Tribute to Kassé Mady Diabaté)
From Mali to Benin and all the way to the Caribbean and New Orleans, backed by a dazzling orchestra of strings, skins and brass, the voice of a teenage genius explores the creole experience. For this pan-African journey between soul and Sahelian blues, Kala Jula has gone through a renewal, drinking from the sources of Benin's voodoo as much as from those of the jeliya, the tradition of the griots (storytellers, poets and musicians) of the Mande.
When we arrived in Kéla, Fama's native village and capital of jeliya, for an initial residency to prepare this repertoire, Samba Diabaté and I met another native of the place, the famous singer Kassé Mady Diabaté. When we talked to him about it, he gave our project his blessing. We were looking forward to him seeing it when it was finished, but life decided otherwise. Less than two months after our meeting, Kassé Mady died. This music is dedicated to him.
(Vincent Zanetti)
Kala Jula
Samba Diabaté : guitar, jeli n’goni ; Vincent Zanetti : djembé, kora, guitar, artistic direction ; Fama Diabaté : voice, balafon ; Mahamadou Diabaté : guitar, jeli n’goni.
Gangbé Brass Band
Benoît Avihoué : percussions, vocals ; Wendo Martial Ahouandjinou : trombone, chant ; Ebenezer Abdias Zésahou Akloé : saxophones, vocals ; Athanase Obed Dehoumon : bugle, vocals ; Crespin Kpitiki : percussions, vocals solo ; Prosper Odjo : trumpet, vocals ; James Vodounon : sousaphone, vocals.
