Oumar Konate
Clermont Music Oumar Konate: Addoh (ML,2014)***°
Oumar Konate is a new guitarist/songwriter with a band who shows a very open receptive style to new elements, like rock and blues, while keeping the presentation of an African songwriter. On the first few tracks he embraces the progressive element of rock and blues with which he get the help of a Hammond organ player, while he himself shows calmly played solos on electric guitar with here and there some recognisable references to Jimi Hendrix's blues period. While the second bluesy track has a certain sad element, it doesn’t leave out a sweet sort of playing. In general, even when certain heaviness in guitar is shown, a light happiness of living, of African rhythms and sunshine still dominates in a pleasant way. We have the noticeable repetitive patterns and interpretations of call response in the instrumental workouts. Also part of the instrument is I think an African bowed string instrument (but it could have been Asian). One acoustic track with two guitars proves the same kind of authenticity. The last track is a duet of kora (Sidiki Diabate, Oumar’s son) with electric guitar for the bass rhythmical pickings, giving mostly the feeling this truly is something of Mali. The electric elements still feel as something new to me, but in hearing all tracks they clearly emerge from the same founding ground even though it is also referring to different worlds.
