Sanikoya

This is the third studio album from Malian griot singer Mohamed Diaby (son of Ivorian griotte Coumba Kouyaté) and acoustic guitarist Abdoulaye Traoré from Burkina Faso, two exceptional talents backed by a superbly tight and compact group of bass, drums and percussion. Their tremendous previous release, Souleymane, is equalled here with a varied and exciting mix of rhythms from Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and northern Mali, together with their own take on blues rock.

Traoré is a versatile guitarist with amazing technique that perfectly complements the soaring voice of Diaby. As a youth Diaby was compared to the great Guinean singer Sory Kandia Kouyaté. To add extra spice and variation to this release they have invited brilliant French soul/jazz singer Ben L'Oncle Soul who duets with Diaby on the album's title-track and sings in English on ‘Saikain’. There is also a fine tribute to Nelson Mandela with a beautiful cello solo. Sanikoya is a highly accomplished and enjoyable recording.