Neba Solo's music is roots all the way, but because of the familiar sound of its pentatonic scales and the universal appeal of its animated rhythms, this act has become as a force in contemporary Malian music. Neba Solo has three international releases, has toured widely in Europe, and has even had...
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Neba Solo's music is roots all the way, but because of the familiar sound of its pentatonic scales and the universal appeal of its animated rhythms, this act has become as a force in contemporary Malian music. Neba Solo has three international releases, has toured widely in Europe, and has even had some of its music remixed as club pop, notably as part of Fréderic Galliano's Frikiwa project.
In fact, the music is modern in certain ways. Souleymane's father is a widely respected musician and balafon maker among the Senufo, and when the boy approached his father saying that he wanted to make some changes in the music, there was real resistance at first. After one spectacular performance by the newly formed Neba Solo, the patriarch dropped his objections and allowed his ambitious son to continue, but the understanding was always that the group would not distort or denature traditional Senufo balafon music, only develop it as a way to make it known to a wider audience.
A balafon maker himself, Souleymane introduced additional low keys to the standard instrument, allowing it to deliver more in the bass register. Souleymane says that at home he spends all his days in his workshop in Sikasso, drinking tea, receiving visitors, and constantly working on balafons. On the Mall, it was much the same as he set up a rudimentary shop in the backstage tent by the Bamako Stage.
Another modern aspect of Neba Solo's art is the song lyrics, which boldly engage current themes, such as the need for vaccination against diseases, issues of democracy and traditional life, and even a call for the end of the traditional practice of "circumsizing" young girls (female genital mutilation). Souleymane isn't much interested in simple love songs; he feels that music should uplift and educate. Just the same, his group's music puts across the feeling of an out and out village party, and the mood of reflective celebration is a signature. -- Afropo Editor Banning Eyre
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