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  New York (NY), USA - Some of the African continent’s premier singer-songwriters are featured on
Acoustic Africa (Putumayo
PUTU254-2 CD), an unplugged collection that will be released September 5th, 2006. These artists are
helping to spearhead an acoustic revolution in stark contrast to the
studio-based, synthesized dance music that became the standard for African
pop-stars of the 1980’s and 90’s. On
Acoustic Africa, there are
folk songs from Senegal, a protest song from South Africa, blues-tinged ballads
from Mali and much more.
Acoustic Africa featured artists
Habib
Koité (Mali),
Vusi
Mahlasela (South
Africa), and
Dobet
Gnahoré will tour the US, Canada and Europe as part of the
Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Africa concert tour in support of the CD release.
A portion of Putumayo’s proceeds from the sale of
Acoustic Africa will be donated to
Mercy Corps in support of their efforts to help AIDS victims and the victims of
the civil war in Darfur, and to Oxfam America and Oxfam Novib’s “Make Trade
Fair” campaign to improve trade conditions for African countries.
The Putumayo Presents:
Acoustic Africa Concert Tour featuring Habib
Koité from Mali, Vusi
Mahlasela
from South Africa and Dobet
Gnahoré from Ivory Coast will travel to more than 40
cities in North America and Europe, giving audiences a rare opportunity to
experience the dynamic performances of these extraordinary musicians.
The Acoustic Africa Tour and CD,
Acoustic Africa, will also provide an opportunity to draw
attention to some of Africa’s challenging social issues, in addition to its
music. All three performers on this tour are social activists, building
awareness of the conditions in Africa that affect the region and the world. The
1980s and early 90s in Africa were punctuated by enormous political and social
transitions. The direct result was profound on Koité’s and Mahlasela’s creative
output, and reflected a maturation in their artistic identity.
Often addressing issues of social and political significance in his homeland,
Mahlasela’s lyrical message of peace was a beacon of change during South
Africa’s formation of a new government. Eventually, this drew him into close
contact with national leadership, performing for Nelson Mandela’s inauguration
in 1994. Meanwhile, Koité had formed his new band Bamada in Mali, where tribal
conflicts had reached a peak prior to the first democratic, multiparty elections
in 1992. Koité’s extraordinary talent in bringing together divergent musical
styles is evident in his songs, which reflect the multiple ethnic traditions of
his country and nurture the goal of a pan-Malian culture.
At the same time, a young Gnahoré was studying music and dance in the
pan-African community of Ki-Yi in the Ivory Coast, where social conflict has led
to the displacement of thousands in the last decade. Eventually, she too
migrated to France, where her artistic identity continues to evolve. Gnahoré’s
songs, musically and lyrically diverse, evoke the struggle and hope of her
country.
This will be Gnahoré’s debut tour of North America. Koité and Mahlasela have
each toured successfully but never as part of such a diverse presentation of
contemporary African music.
Buy the CD:
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