Bamanan is a collaborative studio album by Malian singer Rokia Koné and Irish producer Jacknife Lee. The album was released on 18 February 2022 by Real World Records.[1] The album was Koné's solo debut.[1] It was produced by Lee based on a half-finished album Koné made in Bamako. It was received positively by critics, and its two singles were nominated for two All Africa Music Awards.
| Bamanan | ||||
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| Studio album by Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee | ||||
| Released | 18 February 2022 | |||
| Genre | Bambara music, electronic dance music | |||
| Length | 48:41 | |||
| Label | Real World | |||
| Producer | Jacknife Lee | |||
| Rokia Koné chronology | ||||
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| Jacknife Lee chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bamanan | ||||
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Release
editThe album's first single, "N'yanyan", was released on 27 October 2021, with a music video directed by Senegalese filmmaker Joseph Gaï Ramaka and shot inside Ramaka's Gorée home.[2][3] The second single, "Kurunba", was released on 14 January 2022, with a music video directed by Zambian dancer and choreographer Kennedy Junior Muntanga which was shot in a club in London.[2][4]
Composition and recording
editBamanan sees producer Lee combining recordings of Koné's vocals with electronic dance music instrumentals.[1][5][6][7] Koné – who is originally from Ségou, the former capital of the Bambara Empire[5] – sings in the traditional music of her people,[5] which Lee backs with genres such as "near-house" dance music on "Kurunba",[1] synth-pop on "Mayougouba",[7] and Afro-ambient on "Bi Ye Tulonba Ye",[7] as well as turning "N'yanyan" into a piano blues ballad.[1][7] Closing track "Mansa Soyari" is a reworking of a song from the Les Amazones d'Afrique album République Amazone.[1] The album also sees contributions on guitar from Koné's frequent collaborator Sountoucoumba "Salif" Koné.[1][5]
The album was originally half-completed by Koné in Bamako, who was stuck in her home country due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as political instability.[6] Lee, having heard Salif Koné's guitar work on Les Amazones d'Afrique's albums, was inspired to call Rokia.[6] "Floored" by her vocals, Lee stripped away the instrumentals and composed his own.[6]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |  [5] |
| Mojo |  [6] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[1] |
| Uncut | 7/10[7] |
The Arts Desk's Mark Kidel called the album an "outstanding meeting of the ancient and the new", with the "gutsy authenticity of Bambara music" being "resplendent in this collaboration".[5] Mojo's David Hutcheon said songs such as "Soyi N'galanba" and "Mansa Soyari" were "positively anthemic, even arena-filling", and said "'Mayougouba' is destined to fill club dancefloors the world over."[6] PopMatters's Adriane Pontecorvo wrote that Koné's "artistry as a singer is impeccable and only accentuated further by Lee's expertise as he builds a distinctly global stage for her work."[1] Uncut's Stephen Dalton called Koné's vocals "melismatic, piercing, [and] richly textured", and called "Bi Ye Tulonba Ye" a "highlight, invoking U2 at their Eno/Lanois prime".[7]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Status | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | All Africa Music Awards | Songwriter of the Year | "Kurunba" | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Traditional | "N'yanyan" |
Year-end lists
edit| Publication | # | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Press | 15 | [9] |
| PopMatters (Mid-year) |
— | [10] |
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bi Ye Tulonba Ye" | 5:33 |
| 2. | "Shezita (Take a Seat)" | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Kurunba" | 4:26 |
| 4. | "N'yanyan" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Anw Tile (It's Our Time)" | 5:32 |
| 6. | "Soyi N'galanba" | 5:56 |
| 7. | "Bambougou N'tji" | 4:21 |
| 8. | "Dunden" | 4:48 |
| 9. | "Mayougouba" | 4:26 |
| 10. | "Mansa Soyari" | 5:00 |
| Total length: | 48:41 | |
Personnel
edit- Rokia Koné – vocals
- Jacknife Lee – producer
- Salif Koné – guitar
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Pontecorvo, Adriane (17 February 2022). "Rokia Koné's Vocal Artistry Reaches a Global Audience with Solo Debut Bamanan". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Rokia Koné joins Jacknife Lee for the album Bamanan". Pan African Music. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ ""N'yanyan" - Single by Rokia Koné, Jacknife Lee". Spotify. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ ""Kurunba" - Single by Rokia Koné, Jacknife Lee". Spotify. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Kidel, Mark (12 February 2022). "Album: Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Hutcheon, David (April 2022). "Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". Mojo. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Dalton, Stephen (April 2022). "Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". Uncut. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "All Africa Music Award winners announced!". Biz Community. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "50 Best Albums of 2022". Hot Press. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Pontecorvo, Adriane (30 June 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 January 2024.