COULEURS
MAYOTTE
The Mahoran Compilation
12 titles - 50'34''
1 - Maraguissi (BABADI)
2 - Miss We (DIHO)
3 - Léo N'goma (BACO)
4 - Eba Rambe (MIKIDACHE)
5 - Watoro (M'TORO CHAMOU)
6 - Sraggl (CHAKIRES)
7 - Walimizis (DIHO)
8 - Owa Owe (BACO)
9 - Afrika (MIKIDACHE)
10 - Mnafiqui (BABADI)
11 - Bombo (M'TORO CHAMOU)
12 - Kongno Moja (CHAKIRES)
In 1998, the compilation "MAHORHIT'S VOL. 1" revealed the rich variety of Mahoran music to the world. In 2001, the second volume continued to explore territories of fabulous diversity. Hard to imagine that such a small island - adrift on such a large planet - can inspire such a wealth of music!
The Mahoran artists featured on this CD have plenty of surprises in store, for there exist not one but many "Mahoran" rhythms. The melodies that compose the island's musical mosaic open a window onto the tradition's African influence, whose cultural diversity draws us into a world ever ready for (re)discovery.
Featuring:
BACO
A pillar of Mahoran music, whose 20-year career has blended afro-jazz with Chigoma, M'godjo and the rhythms of the "Island of the Turtles." These tracks, taken from Baco's album "Mashaka," lend a modern, even avant-garde, cast to the island's rich traditional music.
MIKIDACHE
An RFI 99 discovery, inspired by Malagasy folklore and traditional African music. The songs taken from Mikidache's album "Kauli" are purely melodic, sustained by rhythms that undulate like silver fish in a pool extending from the Indian Ocean to the shores of Europe.
BABADI
A Comoran revelation who burst on the scene in 1997 with socially conscious lyrics and a staunch defense of modern M'godro, Babadi's third album "Résistance" made him a permanent figure on the Mahoran scene. His music blends M'godro with an Afro-Mahoran reggae backed by insistent percussion (think central African Kwassa tinted with Mauritian Seggae) and lightened by typical Mahoran lyric melodies.
DIHO
This Mahoran artist, based in Marseilles, is the inventor of the Afro-Chigoma style; Diho and his group "Akara" won first prize in 1994's "Défi Rock" contest. The tracks taken from his album "Safir" range through diverse tones (Biaya, Chacacha and M'godjo, to name a few) and exquisitely balanced harmonies.
CHAKIRES
This singer - who also plays several instruments - began his career in the Comores, where after participating in RFI "Discoveries" in 1988, he won third place in Comores' national competition in 1990. The afro-comoran-inspired songs from his album "Al Camar" preach tolerance and respect for nature, messages gently delivered through lilting melodies and traditional and modern rhythms. The tracks were recorded in Moroni and feature Salim Ali Amir and Maalesh.
M'TORO CHAMOU
This socially conscious artist navigates among Mayotte, Reunion and France - musical travels that restore rather than deplete his formidable energy, evident in these two tracks. An important figure on the Mahoran musical scene, he is skilled at integrating modern arrangements and traditional island rhythms.