Moh! Kouyaté (Guinea)
- 2 days ago
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Moh! Kouyaté was born into a griot family in Conakry, Guinea, with a musical lineage that traces back to the 13th century; his father taught him his first chords, and his grandmother bought him his first guitar. He grew up following Guinean guitarists including Sékou Bembeya and Ousmane Kouyaté, and later drew on Django Reinhardt, Santana, and Jimi Hendrix after an introduction to George Benson’s playing. In 2004, he met blues musician Corey Harris, who invited him on a US tour that introduced him to the Mississippi Delta blues tradition. Kouyaté moved to Paris in 2007 and has since released three albums, beginning with his 2015 debut, Loundo.
Featured Song:
“Faloufema” (Stay By My Side) is a plea to a loved one not to be separated by death, sung over slow cello and trumpet on Kouyaté’s largely acoustic album Mokhôya. “Don’t go ahead of me / I cannot leave you behind / If sorrow ever finds you, you can call on me / Nothing in this world can separate us / My love, I will not let go / I will not leave you.”
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