Kita Kan

Amazon.com
Kandia Kouyate has been a singing sensation in Mali since the late 1980s, and this, her first album available in America, shows well why. Kouyate's voice is as strong and bendable as fresh bamboo--soaring over her range in a controlled yet beautiful way. Accompanied by fellow Malian treasure Ballake Sissoko on kora, and her usual host of expert musicians, Kouyate leads a collection of lovely, bubbling music. The traditionally African pieces work best here, better complementing Kouyate's vibrant, commanding voice than the sweeping orchestral-type pieces or Afro-Cuban pop songs do. Still, there are few enough of those to keep this CD an outstanding pick for a taste of the best female singer in Mali. --Karen Karleski

Kita Kan,Kandia Kouyate,Stern's Africa,African,Afro-Pop,Int'l & World Music,Pop,West African

Average customer rating: Not a fan of the orchestral arrangements One word - WOW! Beautifully rich in sound and texture Simply stunning! Music similar to the one done by Celine Dione for TARTANIC

Kita Kan Kandia Kouyate Manufacturer: Stern's Africa ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Africa | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Biriko Deli Djam Leelii Oumou New Ancient Strings ASIN: B00000J7RB Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

1. Doninke
2. Mandenkalou
3. Kandali
4. Douwawou
5. Folilalou
6. Woulale
7. Sambayaya
8. Ayamafele
9. Hommage

Amazon.com

Kandia Kouyate has been a singing sensation in Mali since the late 1980s, and this, her first album available in America, shows well why. Kouyate's voice is as strong and bendable as fresh bamboo--soaring over her range in a controlled yet beautiful way. Accompanied by fellow Malian treasure Ballake Sissoko on kora, and her usual host of expert musicians, Kouyate leads a collection of lovely, bubbling music. The traditionally African pieces work best here, better complementing Kouyate's vibrant, commanding voice than the sweeping orchestral-type pieces or Afro-Cuban pop songs do. Still, there are few enough of those to keep this CD an outstanding pick for a taste of the best female singer in Mali. --Karen Karleski

Customer Reviews:

Not a fan of the orchestral arrangements.......2005-03-17

While I love Kandia's voice and most of the music on this album, the tracks with the orchestral arrangements (and, for that matter some of the tracks rife with horns) ruin it for me.

One word - WOW!.......2003-06-05

I LOVE this! The entire Cd speaks to the soul from her first blast to the last tender hum. This Lady manages to add strings and horns to traditional Malian instruments and yet avoids (thank GOD!) the horrendous 'pop-ish-ness' we've been asked to stomach from Keita, Maal and the like. This is without a doubt the most played Cd in my collection!

Of special note is tracks 2 & 5. Track 2 is perhaps the most powerful song ever written - the lushness of the instrumentation and this fine Lady's voice, which soars beyond anything we have currently on the market, mark this song as a classic!

As for Track 5, with Bambino - the blending of their voices and the angelic girls in the back - what can one say about it. It has a catchy beat in that you find yourself swaying and bopping before you realize what you're doing. Ah, yes.....

...

Beautifully rich in sound and texture.......2002-06-17

Kita Kan in Kandia Kouyate's native Maninka language means "the voice of Kita", a historic town in western Mali. Kandia Kouyate is one of the foremost voices of Mali. Basing herself on the tradition of the "griot", she has created her own style, adding jazz and modern dance elements to the classical rhythms and harmonies of traditional Malian melodies.

This is a wonderful collection of songs, all written and composed by Kandia Kouyate. Her rich contralto voice exudes strength and warmth and is a sheer pleasure to listen to. "Kita Kan" represents a good cross selection of her repertoire and talent. Her ballades in the griot style are beautifully accompanied by kora (the West African harp), ngoni, (the ancient African lute), and balaphon (a local xylophone type instrument). The accompanists are also well-known artists in their own right in Mali. For the listeners who are not so familiar with West African music, they will find this collection an excellent introduction - several songs have melodies and rhythms easily accessible to the `western' ear. Kandia Kouyate is accompanied by a string orchestra for these - a very successful, if unusual, arrangement.

Typically for "griot" singers, Kandia Kouyate addresses day-to-day social issues in many of her songs. One does not need to understand the lyrics to experience the power of the message that she conveys. For interested readers, the comprehensive CD notes summarize the songs. They also provide a detailed biography of the artist and describe her rise to fame beyond the borders of Mali.

A treasure and an essential addition for your CD collection.

Simply stunning!.......2000-02-05

An amazing voice! Kandia Kouyate is one of those once every twenty years magical voices, gifts somehow to the Universe. The liner notes speak of audience members at her concerts, trancing, and I can surely understand why. For any of you who know Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, here, it feels, we have the female equal - in power and in the use of that power. Incredible voice! And the music is wonderfully accessible, even for those perhaps not accustomed to African music. Great rhythms, wonderful instruments, a marvelous background to this stunning contralto voice of pure power. Native of Mali, she is considered their greatest living female singer, a legend in her time. Listen, and you'll know why! I cannot recommend highly enough, _Kita Kan_, Kandia Kouyati's first solo album, and surely not her last. Don't miss this one!

Music similar to the one done by Celine Dione for TARTANIC.......1999-08-19

The similar group that accompnied Celine Dione for the song (My heart will go on) is similar group that is in France that accompanied Kandia Kouyate for this album. You will love this CD, if you love a classical smooth jazz or a soft rock music.

World Music:

1. Ko Sira
2. La Vie De Château [Import]
3. Le Meilleur [Import]
4. Les Barbares [Import]
5. Les Parfums de Sa Vie: Best of Art Mengo [Import]
6. Mali Music [Import]
7. Meine Art Liebe Zu Zeigen [Import]
8. Mo Lam Singing of Northeast Thailand
9. Music from Cambodia and Vietnam
10. Music In My Mind

World Music

world music

World Music

See This Through & Leave [Import]

Hindemith: String Quartets Nos. 1, 4, 7

Luedeke: The Moon in the Labyrinth/Houdy: Quintette/Schafer: Theseus/The Crown of Ariadne

Thelonious Alone in San Francisco [Original recording remastered]

Mix the Vibe: 27 Years in the Mix

Kaleidoscopes prt.1:The Pop Songs

Jentzsch: Paysages flute G; Paysages SM [Import]

Hotel Paper [Enhanced]

Invitation to the Feast [Import]

Live at Wembley 86

Let's Dance [ECD] [Enhanced]

Lugano [Live]

Kill the DJ [Explicit Lyrics]

Rachmaninoff for Romance: Passionate Music for Love and Desire

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