Lopa Kothari
Lopa Kothari is joined in the studio by Rokia Traore, a Malian singer-songwriter who has worked with artists as diverse as the Kronos Quartet and Ali Farka Toure.
Lopa Kothari is joined in the studio by the Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore who's currently touring the UK. Her musical influences reflect her unbringing as a diplomat's daughter: as a child she lived all over the world. She's worked with artists as diverse as the Kronos Quartet and Ali Farka Toure, and in 2003 won a Radio 3 Award for World Music.
Rokia was born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group. Her hometown of Kolokani is in the northwestern part of Mali's Koulikoro region.
While the Bamana have a tradition of griot performing at weddings, members of the nobility such as Rokia are discouraged from performing as musicians. Rokia attended lyc茅e in Mali while her father was stationed in Brussels and started performing publicly as a university student in Bamako. Unusually for a female musician in Africa, Rokia plays acoustic guitar as well as sings, and she uses vocal harmonies in her arrangements which are rare in Malian music. In 1997, she linked with Mali musician Ali Farka Tour茅 which raised her profile. She won an Radio France Internationale prize as "African Discovery" of 1997, an honour previously won by Mali's Habib Koit茅 in 1993. As well as guitar she plays ngoni (lute) and balafon (a wooden xylophone).
Her first album Moune茂ssa (Label Bleu), released in late 1997 in Mali and September 1, 1998 in Europe. It sold over 40,000 copies in Europe.
On July 11, 2000, her second album Wanita was released. Traor茅 wrote and arranged the entire album. The album was widely acclaimed with The New York Times nominating it as one of its critics' albums of the year.
Her 2003 album Bowmbo茂 has two tracks recorded with the Kronos Quartet but still sung in the Bamana language.
On May 6, 2008, her latest album, "Tchamantch茅", was released.
Rokia was the winner of the Best Artist category in the inaugural Songlines Music Awards (2009) - announced May 1, 2009 - the new 'world music' awards organised by the UK-based magazine, Songlines.
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Music Played
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Ska Cubano
Hit the Deck
Composer: Natty BO
- Mambo Ska.
- Casino Sounds CAS20102.
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Sierra Leone鈥檚 Refugee All Stars
Jah Come Down
Composer: Reuben M. Moroma
- Rise and Shine.
- Cumbancha CMB-CD-18.
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Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars
Si Mimi (it's not me)
Composer: Anon
- World Defeats the Granfathers 鈥揝winging Swahili Rumba 1982-1986.
- Sterns Music STCD3050.
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Rachel Taylor-Beales
Digging Song
Composer: Taylor-Beales
- Dust and Gold.
- Hushland Records hushCd03.
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Okou
Picked me up
Composer: Okou
- Serpentine.
- Wrasse Records WRASS260.
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Studio Session
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Rokia Traor茅 - Kele Mandi
Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore
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Rokia Traor茅 - M'bifo
Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore
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La Brass Banda
Autobahn
- Habediehre.
- Trikont Records US-0386.
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Balkan Beat Box
Move It
Composer: O. Kaplan/T. Muskat/T. Yosef
- Blue Eyed Black Boy.
- Crammed Discs Craw55.
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Gogol Bordello
Rise the Knowledge
Composer: Bordello
- 鈥淭rans-Continental Hustle鈥�.
- Columbia Records.
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Johnny Flynn
Kentucky Pill
- Been Listening.
- Transgressive Records.
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Jim Moray
Bristol Harbour
- In Modern History.
- Niag Recordings.
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Studio Session
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Rokia Traor茅 - Diamfa
Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore
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Rokia Traor茅 - Danema
Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Trad
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Ahilea
Spiritua Tango
Composer: Ahilea
- Caf茅 Svetlana.
- Essay recordings LC13406.
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Tango Crash
Acovachado
Composer: Daniel Almada/Martin Iannaccone
- Barrio Tango 鈥揟he New Generation of Nuevo Tango.
- Galileo Records GMC035.
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Lila Downs
Cumbia del Mole
- Y la misteriosa 鈥揺n Paris.
- World Village WVF009.
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Broken Social Scene
Highway Slipper Jam
- Forgiveness Rock Record.
- City Slang Records.
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Unite, Ft. Nori Kovacs
I left my sweet Homeland
Composer: Trad, Arr. Kovacs/Mantu/Whelan
- A Gathering of Strangers.
- Mule Satellite Records MULE08.
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The Bulgarian Voices Angelite
Journey
Artist: Huun-Huur-Tu Composer: Trad Composer: Misha Alperin
- Legends.
- Jaro Records JARO4300/01-02.
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