Bounaly – Dimanche à Bamako [Mali 2023] – New LP

 Malian guitar hero Bounaly (the stage name of Ali "Bounaly" Traore) makes his full-length debut with “Dimanche à Bamako” (“Sunday in Bamako”). Recorded live on location, the music on "Dimanche à Bamako" is a mix of regional favorites, traditional standards, and originals. Long songs with looping rhythms, pounding kick drums, and electric shredding guitars, punctuated by shout-outs to the guests of honor. A raw and frenetic take on Northern Mali desert sound, playing for the diaspora at a Bamako wedding.

"Dimanche a Bamako" is a Malian colloquialism, in reference to Sundays as a day of celebrations. On any given Sunday, the well dressed head out en masse to various festivities happening throughout the city. Neighborhood streets are blocked off, tents assembled over in impromptu courtyards, colorful carpets laid down, and sound systems assembled. "Everyone has time; people are free to go because there is no work on this day. It's the day to relax," explains Bounaly.

Bounaly’s music is not something one would typically associate with the capital. This is desert guitar from Bounaly’s hometown of Niafounke (the birthplace of Ali Farka Toure). In 2012, vast swaths of the North of Mali were invaded by jihadists and plunged into chaos, and the diaspora resettled in the capital. Over the ensuing decade, Bamako has become a permanent home for the Northerners. The emerging community is spread throughout various neighborhoods, but all come together in celebration on Sundays.

Joined by vocalist Alhousseini Maiga and their neighborhood backing band, this recording gives listeners a personal invitation to a Sunday in Bamako.