Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Kerfala Kanté

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Kerfala Kanté
(Guinée)

Musiques d'Afrique
Musiques de Guinée

Kerfala Kanté was born a griot. Son of Soungarou Kemo Kanté and Yansana Kourouma, he started playing balafon since young age. When he was 15 years old, he took up the acoustic guitar and soon this instrument too had no secrets for him. He played at ceremonies such as weddings and christening parties.
His talent had been recognised and he joined the Tropical Djoli Band in 1980. During that period he was successful with a song he had wrote, « Deni Kéléni ».

In 1984, he was asked to join one of the big orchestras, Balla et ses Balladins created in the 1960s. Unfortunately, problems had already begun for this orchestra and lack of money prevented them from frequent performing. Good contacts with Guinean radio RTG led eventually to the possibility to record a first cassette « L'Oiseau de Sankara ». Since then, he recorded more albums, two of his latest albums were eventually released on CD. Already in 1994, one of his early songs « N'Na Djanssama » was selected for the sampler « Electric & Acoustic Mali » as one of the two Guinean songs on this CD.

Musicians on « Que se passe-t-il? »:
Kerfala Kante lead vocals & guitar
Alpha Camara percussion
Djely Moussa Kouyate guitar
Adama Conde guitar, balafon
Djely Moussa Conde kora
Eric Vincenot bass; Yves Ndjock guitar; Yeye Kante percussion; Nicolas Gueret saxophone; Christophe Dutray trumpet; Jacques Bolognesi trombone; Philippe Guez keyboards and programming and Ibrahima Soumano "RDA" guitar.
Hadja Maningbe Kouyate, Oliza & Wande Kouyate backing vocals

Born: 1959, in Koumandikoura (70km from Faranah - Haute Guinée)
Style: "electric" mandingo music.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
New System	2007	Syllart 823484	Distribution Discograph
Que se passe-t-il?	2002	Syllart SYLAF 96175
Sénékéla	1999	Syllart
Farafina	1996	Super Sound	Cassette
L'Oiseau de Sankara (Vol. 2)	1994	Super Sound SS-2164	Cassette
L'Oiseau de Sankara	1992	BGDA91007	Cassette