{"product_id":"i-speak-fula","title":"I Speak Fula","description":"\u003cp\u003eMalian maestro Bassekou Kouyate is a virtuoso picker and musical visionary whose work blurs the lines between West African and American roots music. Bassekou’s instrument, the ngoni, is a “spike lute” and an ancestor of the banjo, sharing its taut-skinned drum body, percussive attack, and varied picking techniques. Since 2005, Bassekou has led Ngoni Ba, the first-ever group built around not one but four ngonis—-all played by members of his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBassekou’s longtime friend and booster Lucy Duran (a \u003cspan class=\"caps\"\u003eBBC\u003c\/span\u003e radio host, record producer, and Mande music scholar) produced the band’s debut, \u003cem\u003eSegu Blue\u003c\/em\u003e. Before long, Bassekou and Ngoni Ba were touring Europe and in high demand. \u003cem\u003eI Speak Fula\u003c\/em\u003e builds on the success of \u003cem\u003eSegu Blue\u003c\/em\u003e. Its 11 tracks provide a star-studded tour of pan-Malian music, including collaborations with Toumani Diabaté, griot vocal legend Kasse Mady Diabaté, master of the horse-hair soku fiddle Zoumana Tereta, and guitar phenomenon Vieux Farka Toure, Ali’s precociously talented son. The release of \u003cem\u003eI Speak Fula\u003c\/em\u003e and Ngoni Ba’s first U.S. tour mark the latest leg of an extraordinary musical journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI Speak Fula is the first release on Next Ambiance, a new label founded by Jon Kertzer host of KEXP’s Best Ambiance Radio show and Sub Pop co-founder Jon Poneman, and the newest addition to the Sub Pop family. Next Ambiance continues the musical exploration of Best Ambiance, with an emphasis on mind-blowing and life-changing artists with no particular regional or cultural bias.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Contender for African album of the year.” (5 stars) \u003ccite\u003eUncut\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is a cracker.” (4 stars) \u003ccite\u003eMojo\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Spectacular.” \u003cspan class=\"caps\"\u003eBBC\u003c\/span\u003e online\u003cbr\u003e“Truly irresistible.” \u003ccite\u003eMusic Week\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fizzes with energy.” (4 stars) \u003ccite\u003eObserver Music Monthly\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There’s unlikely to be a better African album this year.” (5 stars) \u003ccite\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ferociously powerful album … Superb.” \u003ccite\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/cite\u003e (Album of the Week)\u003cbr\u003e“Soon the world will speak Fula.” \u003ccite\u003eMetro\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you like vinyl and want this record on vinyl, go here.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50683708309590,"sku":"dww1791988056238","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0725\/8236\/5270\/files\/i-speak-fula_1.jpg?v=1791988061","url":"https:\/\/cottondriftclad.shop\/products\/i-speak-fula","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}