Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba are set on changing the way we think about world music. Pushing the limits of traditional West African instruments themselves to embrace western styles and a more versatile melodic range, Bassekou Kouyate is proud of the modern innovations he's made with the ngoni, a traditional stringed instrument, and rightly so. For generations in Kouyate's family, the ngoni has been passed down father to son, but he was determined to rework his musical heritage to create something truly original. By adding distortion and employing heavy use of a wah-wah pedal, Kouyate essentially created a whole-new instrument, the electric ngoni. Touring along with his band, Ngoni Ba, Bassekou Kouyate saw a hugely positive reaction to his edgier rock 'n' roll vibe, which inspired him and the band to put out their fourth album, Ba Power, earlier this year. The now Grammy-nominated Kouyate aims to use the new sound to appeal to younger generations and "transmit [his] culture not only to the youth, but the whole world." It's impossible to tear your eyes away from Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba's electrifying, streamlined performance live in the KEXP studio. Check it out for yourself now.
Check out some of the KEXP DJ’s favorite artists from the Pacific Northwest and around the world on-the-go. KEXP’s Music That Matters weekly podcast brings you an exclusive mix of new music from the world’s best independent artists.
Armed with a tidal wave of talent and tracks from their new release, Weirdo Shrine, Seattle’s surf rock songstresses La Luz light up KEXP with this stunning live session. With their dark, reverb coated strings and organic tones, the band delve deeper into the fabric of their sundrenched sound - wit…
These days, we all want love letters from Father John Misty. While the stage persona of former Seattle based songwriter Josh Tillman rose to indie stardom following his somewhat calculated invention and an inventive debut filled with 70's inspired soft rock, expansive folk melodies and nearly exces…
Brooklyn’s brassy big band Red Baraat stopped by on their way across the country on a national tour to bring their infectious world music into the KEXP live room. Led by percussionist Sunny Jain, the eight members draw on a Bhangra blend of North Indian rhythms mixed with hip-hop, funk and New Orle…
