Mamar Kassey

Mamar Kassey is a jazz-pop-ethnic band from Niger. It is named after a legendary warrior who extended the Songhai Empire into the Sahara.

Mamar Kassey performing at WOMEX 15, Budapest
Mamar Kassey
OriginNiamey, Niger
GenresAfro-jazz fusion.
Years active1995–present

Style

The band's leader is singer and flautist Yacouba Moumouni. The group combines traditional Hausa, Djerma, Fula[1] and Songhai rhythms, instruments such as the molo (a lute with a skin-covered body), and modern instruments such as the electric bass. Their sound also incorporates western jazz, Moroccan and Latin music.

Mamam Kassey MusicMeeting 2014 The Netherlands
Mamar Kassey MusicMeeting 2014 in The Netherlands

Musical career

An eight-piece group[2] formed by Moumouni and guitarist Abdallah Alhassane in 1995, Mamar Kassey have released two albums internationally and toured Europe and the United States multiple times. They came to attention in France after an appearance at the Festival des Nuits Atypiques in Langon in 1998.

They are one of the few Nigerien musical acts known internationally, and much beloved in their home country.

Makida Palabre

In 2004-2005, musicians from Mamar Kassey toured with a group of Breton folk musicians under the name Makida Palabre. The collaboration included Breton musicians Pierre-Yves Prothais, Ronan Le Gourierec, Laurent Carré, and Youen Paranthoen playing Breton/Celtic, western jazz, and West African instruments.[3]

Music of Niger
Genres
Specific forms
Regional music

Musicians

The members of the band have changed over the course of the group's existence. The group that performed at the Festival des nomades in Benin in 2000 included:[4]

  • Abdoulaye ALASSANE, (ABDALLAH): guitar.
  • Adamou DAOUDA, (NAGOULI): kalangou.
  • Boubacar Souleyman MAIGA, (BARI): percussion, calabash.
  • Harouna ABDOU : electric bass guitar.
  • Housseïni Namata CHIBAKOU: molo lute.
  • Yacouba MOUMOUNI: flute, vocals.

Discography
  • Denké-Denké, Daqui, Harmonia Mundi, (1999)
  • Alatoumi, Daqui (2000), Harmonia Mundi (2001), World Village WV470003 (2001)
  • Via Campesina, Daqui, Harmonia Mundi (2006)
  • On va voir ça, Daqui, Harmonia Mundi (forthcoming, 2008)[5]
  • Niger, Innacor Records, (2013)[6]

References
  1. French: Peul; Fula: Fulɓe
  2. They have performed with larger and smaller ensembles: as an 11 piece at the JAZZ a OUAGA 2006 Archived 9 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine festival, or as a duo with hired musicians in the US because of visa restrictions (Dan Maley:2004).
  3. See makidapalabre.com and MAKIDA PALABRE au théâtre de Redon le 10 novembre 2005, breizh.de, Guénaèle BARON.
  4. "Festival des nomades website". Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
  5. makidapalabre.com
  6. http://www.innacor.com

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