Preview: Rokia Traoré @ Roundhouse (London, 6th February 2016)
Featuring a plethora of guest artists including John Paul Jones and Devendra Barnhart, this February will see Malian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Rokia Traoré release her sixth album, Né So. Produced by John Parish of PJ Harvey and Tracy Chapman acclaim, accompanying this release is her 2016 tour, kicking off at the Roundhouse next month.
Rehearsed in Bamako, recorded in Brussels and Bristol, and starring musicians auditioned from across West Africa, Né So is both a return to fundamentals and a step forward from her previous album of rave reviews, Beautiful Africa. It draws deeply from the musical traditions of Mali, but also exhibits a dynamic rock edge. The album is filled with pain and joy, infused with challenges and hopes, and always nurtured with an uncompromising frame of mind.
Her title track shown below demonstrates this uncompromising ethos. It is a striking free verse that depicts in a few strophes the distress of uprooted peoples.
Having performed alongside the likes of Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn and the Kronos Quartet, Traoré is remarkable not just for the range of her powerful and emotional voice but also for her ability to reinvent. Her cultural mixing combined with her compelling onstage presence will undoubtedly deliver an explosive and engrossing performance.
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