The internationally acclaimed band, Bonkonté, has unveiled their latest single “Pa Domi“, a precursor to their much-anticipated project, History.
“Pa Domi” delivers a mesmerizing auditory journey, offering bluesy, atmospheric undertones and intriguing elements of desert adventure, all beautifully woven together with a lap steel that blurs the boundaries between Mali and Morocco.
Their forthcoming album, History, comprises nine compelling tracks that delve into black history, global unity, the futility of war, and the perspectives of outsiders and seers. It provides moments of introspection, feeling, and love, all within an immersive sonic tapestry.
Tirolien, hailing from Guadalupe, penned the majority of the album’s vivid lyrics in Creole during the world’s lockdown period in Montreal.
As the world began to reopen, the entire nine-member band, representing five different nations across four continents, reconvened at League‘s residence nestled in a quaint village near Barcelona, Spain.
Bokanté, an innovative band project spearheaded by Michael League of Snarky Puppy, boasts a unique sound that League describes as a “peculiar amalgamation of West African music, Delta blues, Led Zeppelin, and Caribbean kaladja, with lyrics predominantly in Creole and French.”
The octet consists of League on baritone guitar and bass; lap and pedal steel guitarist Roosevelt Collier of Lee Boys and Karl Denson; guitarists Chris McQueen and Bob Lanzetti from Snarky Puppy.
It also consists of percussionists Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon, Sting), André Ferrari (Väsen), and Keita Ogawa (Banda Magda, Yo-Yo Ma).
They are led by seasoned tri-lingual vocalist Malika Tirolien, who has her own esteemed quintet and has lent her voice to Snarky Puppy’s Family Dinner, Vol.
As a multi-instrumentalist, League has immersed himself in the study of various cultural musical instruments, learning traditional guembri techniques from Gnawa masters and delving into Turkish percussion in Istanbul.
He has also drawn significant inspiration from esteemed Malian artists such as Ali Farke Touré and ngoni maestro Bassekou Kouyaté.
Following the success of their two prior albums — 2017’s Strange Circles and the Grammy-nominated 2018 acoustic collaboration with the Metropole Orkest — along with extensive global touring, Bokanté’s cohesive and potent artistic energy is stronger than ever.
Listen to the single just below:
#Peace.Love.Bokanté
