N'Faly Kouyate & Dunyakan - Kora Groove From West Africa

(ARC MUSIC/ LC 5111/ EUCD 1892)

N'faly Kouyate, core member of the Afro-Celt Sound System, presents his own group Dunyakan on this album. N'faly's rippling kora and hypnotic African vocals blended with contemporary music and instruments creates a mesmerising mix.

N'Faly Kouyate and his band play a jazzy version of the Mande music. The Manding people populate vast swathes of West Africa. Their culture is one of the richest and deepest in the region and their griots are famed far and wide.

The Kouyates of Guinea are a renowned griot clan and N'Faly Kouyate has taken their skill for improvisation and kora playing - inherited from his father, Konkoba Kabinet Kouyate - to new audiences the world over.

N'Faly Kouyate and his kora is the driving force in Dunyakan. He is a very skilled instrumentalist and the album features many long instrumental sections where the band produce delicate and beautiful music. The best track is the traditional song 'N'diyanomo' which is full of depth and beauty - where bass, drums and kora float together into a higher musical unity. On the instrumental and self penned 'Experience' N'Faly lets loose , and grooves, with mesmerising kora. In fact, 'Kora Grooves' is a surprisingly funky album at times.

Reviewer : Yve Ngoo