Yilimalo [Digipak], Hadja Kouyate Et Les Guineens, CD

For this album recorded with her close-knit Guinean team, Hadja Kouyaté fully displays the talents of the great Mandingue griot she has always been. The record is a powerful blend of percussive energy and melodic lines rooted in Guinean tradition. Both wedding music meant for dancing and court music carrying praises and traditional West African griot storytelling, it highlights a remarkable voice capable of both tenderness and soaring lyrical flights. Featuring a touching duet with her mother, who taught her the craft from the age of five, the album also offers a journey through Mandingue guitar traditions.