Bamanan is a collaborative studio album by Malian singer Rokia Koné and Irish producer Jacknife Lee. The album was released on 18 February 2022 by Real World Records.[1] The album was Koné's solo debut.[1] It was produced by Lee based on a half-finished album Koné made in Bamako. It was received positively by critics, and its two singles were nominated for two All Africa Music Awards.

Bamanan
A photo of Koné sitting on the floor, wearing a long, blue-green gown.
Studio album by
Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee
Released18 February 2022
GenreBambara music, electronic dance music
Length48:41
LabelReal World
ProducerJacknife Lee
Rokia Koné chronology
Sassilabamba
(2016)
Bamanan
(2022)
Jacknife Lee chronology
The Jacknife Lee
(2020)
Bamanan
(2022)
Los Angeles
(2023)
Singles from Bamanan
  1. "N'yanyan"
    Released: 27 October 2021
  2. "Kurunba"
    Released: 14 January 2022

Release

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The album's first single, "N'yanyan", was released on 27 October 2021, with a music video directed by Senegalese filmmaker Joseph Gaï Ramaka and shot inside Ramaka's Gorée home.[2][3] The second single, "Kurunba", was released on 14 January 2022, with a music video directed by Zambian dancer and choreographer Kennedy Junior Muntanga which was shot in a club in London.[2][4]

Composition and recording

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Bamanan sees producer Lee combining recordings of Koné's vocals with electronic dance music instrumentals.[1][5][6][7] Koné – who is originally from Ségou, the former capital of the Bambara Empire[5] – sings in the traditional music of her people,[5] which Lee backs with genres such as "near-house" dance music on "Kurunba",[1] synth-pop on "Mayougouba",[7] and Afro-ambient on "Bi Ye Tulonba Ye",[7] as well as turning "N'yanyan" into a piano blues ballad.[1][7] Closing track "Mansa Soyari" is a reworking of a song from the Les Amazones d'Afrique album République Amazone.[1] The album also sees contributions on guitar from Koné's frequent collaborator Sountoucoumba "Salif" Koné.[1][5]

The album was originally half-completed by Koné in Bamako, who was stuck in her home country due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as political instability.[6] Lee, having heard Salif Koné's guitar work on Les Amazones d'Afrique's albums, was inspired to call Rokia.[6] "Floored" by her vocals, Lee stripped away the instrumentals and composed his own.[6]

Reception

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Bamanan ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk     [5]
Mojo     [6]
PopMatters9/10[1]
Uncut7/10[7]

The Arts Desk's Mark Kidel called the album an "outstanding meeting of the ancient and the new", with the "gutsy authenticity of Bambara music" being "resplendent in this collaboration".[5] Mojo's David Hutcheon said songs such as "Soyi N'galanba" and "Mansa Soyari" were "positively anthemic, even arena-filling", and said "'Mayougouba' is destined to fill club dancefloors the world over."[6] PopMatters's Adriane Pontecorvo wrote that Koné's "artistry as a singer is impeccable and only accentuated further by Lee's expertise as he builds a distinctly global stage for her work."[1] Uncut's Stephen Dalton called Koné's vocals "melismatic, piercing, [and] richly textured", and called "Bi Ye Tulonba Ye" a "highlight, invoking U2 at their Eno/Lanois prime".[7]

Awards and nominations

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Bamanan awards and nominations
Year Organization Award Work Status Ref.
2023 All Africa Music Awards Songwriter of the Year "Kurunba" Nominated [8]
Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Traditional "N'yanyan"

Year-end lists

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Bamanan on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Hot Press 15 [9]
PopMatters
(Mid-year)
[10]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee.

Bamanan track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Bi Ye Tulonba Ye"5:33
2."Shezita (Take a Seat)"5:03
3."Kurunba"4:26
4."N'yanyan"3:36
5."Anw Tile (It's Our Time)"5:32
6."Soyi N'galanba"5:56
7."Bambougou N'tji"4:21
8."Dunden"4:48
9."Mayougouba"4:26
10."Mansa Soyari"5:00
Total length:48:41

Personnel

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  • Rokia Koné – vocals
  • Jacknife Lee – producer
  • Salif Koné – guitar

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Pontecorvo, Adriane (17 February 2022). "Rokia Koné's Vocal Artistry Reaches a Global Audience with Solo Debut Bamanan". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Rokia Koné joins Jacknife Lee for the album Bamanan". Pan African Music. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  3. ^ ""N'yanyan" - Single by Rokia Koné, Jacknife Lee". Spotify. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  4. ^ ""Kurunba" - Single by Rokia Koné, Jacknife Lee". Spotify. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Kidel, Mark (12 February 2022). "Album: Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Hutcheon, David (April 2022). "Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". Mojo. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Dalton, Stephen (April 2022). "Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan". Uncut. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  8. ^ "All Africa Music Award winners announced!". Biz Community. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  9. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2022". Hot Press. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. ^ Pontecorvo, Adriane (30 June 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 January 2024.