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Lopa Kothari

Lopa Kothari is joined in the studio by Rokia Traore, a Malian singer-songwriter who has worked with artists as diverse as the Kronos Quartet and Ali Farka Toure.

Lopa Kothari is joined in the studio by the Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore who's currently touring the UK. Her musical influences reflect her unbringing as a diplomat's daughter: as a child she lived all over the world. She's worked with artists as diverse as the Kronos Quartet and Ali Farka Toure, and in 2003 won a Radio 3 Award for World Music.

Rokia was born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group. Her hometown of Kolokani is in the northwestern part of Mali's Koulikoro region.
While the Bamana have a tradition of griot performing at weddings, members of the nobility such as Rokia are discouraged from performing as musicians. Rokia attended lycée in Mali while her father was stationed in Brussels and started performing publicly as a university student in Bamako. Unusually for a female musician in Africa, Rokia plays acoustic guitar as well as sings, and she uses vocal harmonies in her arrangements which are rare in Malian music. In 1997, she linked with Mali musician Ali Farka Touré which raised her profile. She won an Radio France Internationale prize as "African Discovery" of 1997, an honour previously won by Mali's Habib Koité in 1993. As well as guitar she plays ngoni (lute) and balafon (a wooden xylophone).
Her first album Mouneïssa (Label Bleu), released in late 1997 in Mali and September 1, 1998 in Europe. It sold over 40,000 copies in Europe.
On July 11, 2000, her second album Wanita was released. Traoré wrote and arranged the entire album. The album was widely acclaimed with The New York Times nominating it as one of its critics' albums of the year.
Her 2003 album Bowmboï has two tracks recorded with the Kronos Quartet but still sung in the Bamana language.
On May 6, 2008, her latest album, "Tchamantché", was released.
Rokia was the winner of the Best Artist category in the inaugural Songlines Music Awards (2009) - announced May 1, 2009 - the new 'world music' awards organised by the UK-based magazine, Songlines.

1 hour, 45 minutes

Last on

Fri 30 Apr 2010 23:15

Music Played

  • Ska Cubano

    Hit the Deck

    Composer: Natty BO

    • Mambo Ska.
    • Casino Sounds CAS20102.
  • Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

    Jah Come Down

    Composer: Reuben M. Moroma

    • Rise and Shine.
    • Cumbancha CMB-CD-18.
  • Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars

    Si Mimi (it's not me)

    Composer: Anon

    • World Defeats the Granfathers –Swinging Swahili Rumba 1982-1986.
    • Sterns Music STCD3050.
  • Rachel Taylor-Beales

    Digging Song

    Composer: Taylor-Beales

    • Dust and Gold.
    • Hushland Records hushCd03.
  • Okou

    Picked me up

    Composer: Okou

    • Serpentine.
    • Wrasse Records WRASS260.
  • Studio Session

    • Rokia Traoré - Kele Mandi

      Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore

    • Rokia Traoré - M'bifo

      Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore

  • La Brass Banda

    Autobahn

    • Habediehre.
    • Trikont Records US-0386.
  • Balkan Beat Box

    Move It

    Composer: O. Kaplan/T. Muskat/T. Yosef

    • Blue Eyed Black Boy.
    • Crammed Discs Craw55.
  • Gogol Bordello

    Rise the Knowledge

    Composer: Bordello

    • “Trans-Continental Hustle”.
    • Columbia Records.
  • Johnny Flynn

    Kentucky Pill

    • Been Listening.
    • Transgressive Records.
  • Jim Moray

    Bristol Harbour

    • In Modern History.
    • Niag Recordings.
  • Studio Session

    • Rokia Traoré - Diamfa

      Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Traore

    • Rokia Traoré - Danema

      Artist: Mamah Diabate Composer: Trad

  • Ahilea

    Spiritua Tango

    Composer: Ahilea

    • Café Svetlana.
    • Essay recordings LC13406.
  • Tango Crash

    Acovachado

    Composer: Daniel Almada/Martin Iannaccone

    • Barrio Tango –The New Generation of Nuevo Tango.
    • Galileo Records GMC035.
  • Lila Downs

    Cumbia del Mole

    • Y la misteriosa –en Paris.
    • World Village WVF009.
  • Broken Social Scene

    Highway Slipper Jam

    • Forgiveness Rock Record.
    • City Slang Records.
  • Unite, Ft. Nori Kovacs

    I left my sweet ѿýland

    Composer: Trad, Arr. Kovacs/Mantu/Whelan

    • A Gathering of Strangers.
    • Mule Satellite Records MULE08.
  • The Bulgarian Voices Angelite

    Journey

    Artist: Huun-Huur-Tu Composer: Trad Composer: Misha Alperin

    • Legends.
    • Jaro Records JARO4300/01-02.

Broadcast

  • Fri 30 Apr 2010 23:15

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