Rokia Traoré

Heard this morning on BBC Radio 3, "Kolokani"

Biographical notes

The Arts Hour, BBC Sounds: Malian musician and performer Rokia Traoré (from 27 minute point) - Nikki Bedi is in conversation with the legendary Malian musician Rokia Traoré


Note from Rokia Traoré:

"My roots are deeply anchored in the Mandingo culture. Yet I wasn’t immersed in Malian music at the source, having spent most of my childhood outside Mali moving with the work of my father who was a diplomat. On top of that, as a noble Bambara, not belonging to a griot caste1 prevented me from learning and interpreting traditional griot songs.

I started learning about music; I was not supposed to do so and was criticized within my social environment. It was therefore more natural for me and less controversial for my entourage to take up playing the guitar, writing texts in French and English. Drawing my own artistic path I avoided taking any role that would normally be exclusively pursued by a member of the djeli caste. Rock ‘n’ roll was more accessible to me than playing at weddings or christening ceremonies where young djelis learn alongside their parents, to sing the traditional music repertoire.

To exist as an artist, I had to take a great creative detour to gain a few years of experience in the practice of a musical style that I invented for myself, taking advantage of any breach or small window of tolerance that celebrated modernity within Mali’s highly traditionalist society. For years my goal was and still is, to expand the scope of freedom for my artistic work".

Albums

Rokia Traore - Bowmboi

Rokia Traore - Laidu

Rokia Traore - Mouneissa