This six-piece ensemble, based in the nation's capital, Niamey, does what so many young bands from more cosmopolitan areas of the world are doing; they're synthesizing tradition with a more experimental approach. Here, the komsa lute, balafon, and the Hausa talking drum known as the Kalangou, blend with electric keyboards, electronics, snippets of field recordings and musical patterns not normally associated with the country's roots, for something that captures the country's musical flux perfectly. One reason for this might be the presence of Laetitia Cecile, who has made Niger her home for a dozen or so years, but comes from Reunion. Her keyboard patterns suggest and inform many of the musical patterns laid out on Chateau 1.
Tracks:
1. Peau de Ch?vre 03:21
2. Dis moi 03:27
3. L'Hivernage 03:04
4. Nima 03:31
5. Sadaqa Blind Sisters 03:51
6. Ir ma koy 02:39
7. Le Cheval d'Haro 04:34
8. Hari?no 03:39
9. Indus 04:38
10. Yad?no 03:39
11. La Lutte 04:06
