Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Hadja Kouyaté

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Hadja Kouyaté
(Guinée)

Musiques d'Afrique
Musiques de Guinée
Pictures of Hadja Kouyate

Hadja Kouyaté is a young griot singer from Guinea. Originary from Géckédou, she started singing at the age of 5, at ceremonies in the region. In 1989, she made a first stage appearance at the Feskora Festival in Conakry. Related to great guitar players Manfila Kante and Ousmane Kouyate, she started in showbiz by singing backing vocals already from the mid 1990s. She participated as backing vocal on various, mostly very successful, albums such as « Sinikan » and « Kassa » by Sekouba Bambino, Les Leaders de la Guinée, « Kita Kan » by Kandia Kouyate, « Sabou Sabou » by Djanka Diabate, « Moffou » by Salif Keita, « Touma Sera » by her husband Amadou Sodia and many others.

Thanks to her great voice, both powerful and warm, she started a solo career and first success came with the album « Manding-Ko ». The album was the first release from the traditional collection of the Frikyiwa label, thusfar known for its modern club remixes of Malian songs. The album was jointly recorded with Senegalese kora player Ali Boulo Santo who has recently, by the way, made a solo album of his own. « Manding-Ko » is an acoustic album, meticulously produced by Frederic Galliano and remains close to traditional music while Galliano's arrangements make the album accessible for the ears of novices to mandingo music.

After the African production « Tomassere », a second Frikyiwa recording has been released now, with slightly more instrumental backup than the first album, but still with a largely acoustic feel.

Born:
Style: griot music.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Yilimalo	2004	Frikyiwa FRIKCD1755	With Les Guinéens
Manding-Ko [Limited Edition With Photo Session Bonus]	2003	Frikyiwa FRIKCD029
Manding-Ko [Limited Edition With Bonus CD]	2003	Frikyiwa FRIKCD028
Tomassere	2003	Syllart
Manding-Ko	2001	Frikyiwa FKW001	With Ali Boulo Santo