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Deleted member 26234
Sorry for the delay, but hosting PJ00s came in the way ...
@soratami and @MilesAngel have already called for it, but I am a bit sad that this song leaves. It's one of my 10 pointers, but I have to admit there isn't much left that wouldn't hurt ...
#17
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Mory Kanté - Yéké yéké
Picked By: @Filippa
Credentials: Silver in France; #1 in Belgium, Finland, Israel, Netherlands, Spain; #2 in Germany and Switzerland; #5 in France; #10 in Austria (first African single to sell more than 1.000.000 units)
Average Score: 8.0682
Highest Score: 10 @Filippa, @Epic Chocolat, @Remorque
Lowest Score: 4.7 @jtm
RIP Mory Kanté. He was suffering from chronic illnesses and couldn’t travel to France due to Covid-19 in 2020 where he had often received treatment. He died on 22 May 2020 in Guinea at the age of 70. Many paid tribute, among others Youssou N’Dour called him “a baobab of African culture” and the president of Guinea said that African culture was in mourning. Mory Kanté himself said in an interview with the British Guardian that he would like to be remembered “as a man of culture, as a citizen of the world who delivers his messages in music, and as a tireless traveller looking to meet and know the people of this world”
Mory Kanté, born to a family of griot musicians in French Guinea, was sent to his Malian aunt to be trained as a griot at the age of seven or fifteen. In Mali, he was not only exposed to all the African traditions but also to many Anglo-American and French pop and rock, as Mali only gained independence from France in 1960 (probably during his stay there). Sounds that shaped him sustainably. No wonder he taught himself playing guitar.
At the age of 21, he was invited to play guitar in a famous Malian orchestra: The Rail Band. This orchestra played then popular, danceable African variations of Cuban rhythms at the train station of Bamako to greet the arriving travellers. When the singer Salif Keita left, Mory replaced him as a singer. This made him a star in West-Africa. Of the time in the band, he said: “We were young and careless about not thinking about money. Only perfection, perseverance, and success counted.”
He left the band in 1984 and got interested in the traditional instrument kora, the instrument that would make him famous in near future. He moved to Paris (at first illegally) and his music was embraced by the French lovers of “world music”. He was soon nicknamed “Electric Griot”.
With Yéké yéké he had his big international breakthrough in 1987. In this song, all his influences came together in perfection and hit the nerve of the time. The highly melodic song caused euphoria on the European dance floors (even in the techno clubs). In a 2009 interview, Mory credited the song’s enduring quality to his enthusiastic spirit. “Whether you play the kora, balafon, or any other instrument, you have to create something that people will not soon forget. As long as your work is good, we don’t forget it.”
Mory Kanté proved that tradition and modernity can be combined quite well. But for this, he got criticized for selling out tradition. To those Mory Kanté recommended to fly to Africa and listen to some tribal music at the meeting place of any African village. He said that the world is changing, constantly evolving, and all of this was inspiring to him. Why should Africans be forbidden to modernity?
Over the years, Mory Kanté regained his roots, moved back to Guinea, and returned also musically to his family’s tradition. He still travelled the world, worked for the United Nations, and gave lectures on music and culture at universities. When asked what his favourite itinerary was, he told the British Guardian “Every return trip home to Africa”.
What did PopJustice think?
@jtm (4.7) I thought I knew this but I don‘t and I don‘t like it too much
@Ezz (8) What a rhythm!
@Epic Chocolat (10) Classic afro-pop world-fusion jam.
@DominoDancing (8.5) Straight up bop.
@WowWowWowWow (9) Contender for Rate Discovery for yours truly!
@Phonetics Girl (9.5) Another one I haven't heard in years! The lost classics status of this rate is well and truly earned!
@daninternational (6.5) Imagine how great the world would be if every continent had their own version of Eurovision. But outside of the context of 'weren't Guinea crazy in the 80s?' it doesn't do a lot for me
@Filippa (10) I could listen to that song over and over again! The energy, the joy, the beauty of this music!
@MilesAngel (7.5) This is a great fusion of traditional African music and modern synth pop. It has a great rhythm which makes me want to dance.
@berserkboi (9.1) A big bop for sure! Great discovery!
Yéké yéké (with Santana)
Railband - Wale Numa Lombaliya
Bankiero
Djou
Oh Oh Oh
@soratami and @MilesAngel have already called for it, but I am a bit sad that this song leaves. It's one of my 10 pointers, but I have to admit there isn't much left that wouldn't hurt ...
#17
[
Mory Kanté - Yéké yéké
Picked By: @Filippa
Credentials: Silver in France; #1 in Belgium, Finland, Israel, Netherlands, Spain; #2 in Germany and Switzerland; #5 in France; #10 in Austria (first African single to sell more than 1.000.000 units)
Average Score: 8.0682
Highest Score: 10 @Filippa, @Epic Chocolat, @Remorque
Lowest Score: 4.7 @jtm
RIP Mory Kanté. He was suffering from chronic illnesses and couldn’t travel to France due to Covid-19 in 2020 where he had often received treatment. He died on 22 May 2020 in Guinea at the age of 70. Many paid tribute, among others Youssou N’Dour called him “a baobab of African culture” and the president of Guinea said that African culture was in mourning. Mory Kanté himself said in an interview with the British Guardian that he would like to be remembered “as a man of culture, as a citizen of the world who delivers his messages in music, and as a tireless traveller looking to meet and know the people of this world”
Mory Kanté, born to a family of griot musicians in French Guinea, was sent to his Malian aunt to be trained as a griot at the age of seven or fifteen. In Mali, he was not only exposed to all the African traditions but also to many Anglo-American and French pop and rock, as Mali only gained independence from France in 1960 (probably during his stay there). Sounds that shaped him sustainably. No wonder he taught himself playing guitar.
At the age of 21, he was invited to play guitar in a famous Malian orchestra: The Rail Band. This orchestra played then popular, danceable African variations of Cuban rhythms at the train station of Bamako to greet the arriving travellers. When the singer Salif Keita left, Mory replaced him as a singer. This made him a star in West-Africa. Of the time in the band, he said: “We were young and careless about not thinking about money. Only perfection, perseverance, and success counted.”
He left the band in 1984 and got interested in the traditional instrument kora, the instrument that would make him famous in near future. He moved to Paris (at first illegally) and his music was embraced by the French lovers of “world music”. He was soon nicknamed “Electric Griot”.
With Yéké yéké he had his big international breakthrough in 1987. In this song, all his influences came together in perfection and hit the nerve of the time. The highly melodic song caused euphoria on the European dance floors (even in the techno clubs). In a 2009 interview, Mory credited the song’s enduring quality to his enthusiastic spirit. “Whether you play the kora, balafon, or any other instrument, you have to create something that people will not soon forget. As long as your work is good, we don’t forget it.”
Mory Kanté proved that tradition and modernity can be combined quite well. But for this, he got criticized for selling out tradition. To those Mory Kanté recommended to fly to Africa and listen to some tribal music at the meeting place of any African village. He said that the world is changing, constantly evolving, and all of this was inspiring to him. Why should Africans be forbidden to modernity?
Over the years, Mory Kanté regained his roots, moved back to Guinea, and returned also musically to his family’s tradition. He still travelled the world, worked for the United Nations, and gave lectures on music and culture at universities. When asked what his favourite itinerary was, he told the British Guardian “Every return trip home to Africa”.
What did PopJustice think?
@jtm (4.7) I thought I knew this but I don‘t and I don‘t like it too much
@Ezz (8) What a rhythm!
@Epic Chocolat (10) Classic afro-pop world-fusion jam.
@DominoDancing (8.5) Straight up bop.
@WowWowWowWow (9) Contender for Rate Discovery for yours truly!
@Phonetics Girl (9.5) Another one I haven't heard in years! The lost classics status of this rate is well and truly earned!
@daninternational (6.5) Imagine how great the world would be if every continent had their own version of Eurovision. But outside of the context of 'weren't Guinea crazy in the 80s?' it doesn't do a lot for me
@Filippa (10) I could listen to that song over and over again! The energy, the joy, the beauty of this music!
@MilesAngel (7.5) This is a great fusion of traditional African music and modern synth pop. It has a great rhythm which makes me want to dance.
@berserkboi (9.1) A big bop for sure! Great discovery!
Yéké yéké (with Santana)
Railband - Wale Numa Lombaliya
Bankiero
Djou
Oh Oh Oh
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