TITLES
1. Aibara Aiga 3'34
2. Kalaban Coura 5'17
3. Wakobi 4'01
4. Layla 3'50
5. Gao 4'02
6. Mali 5'27
7. Aigabani 3'38
8. Bill 4'51
9. Hidia 4'45
10. Decentralisation 4'50
11. Yogameri 3'01
12. Kalaidini 4'45
Music composed by Quentin Dujardin & Kalil Sidy Haïdara except 4, 6, 8, 11 by Quentin Dujardin & 10 by Dujardin/ Haïdara/ El Allouli
KALABAN COURA - Aigabani (AGUA music/Songtone-Codaex 2011)
musicians: Kalil Sidy Haïdara (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars), Quentin Dujardin (vocals, nylon, acoustic, fretless & electric guitars, hammond organ, ukulele, calebasse & bass), Jalal El Allouli (vocals & violin)
additional musicians: Boris Schmidt (double bass), Arnout Hellofs (drums & percussion), Pamela Delgado (percussion), Soumaya (backing vocals), Pata Njava (percussion)
produced by Lee Townsend & Quentin Dujardin
Recorded
at La Chapelle Studio by Stijn Verdonckt (Waimes-BE)
Additionnal recording at Fantasy Studio by Adam Muñoz
& Msyp Studio by Maximin Njava (Mons-BE)
Mixed
by Adam Muñoz at Fantasy Studio (Berkeley-US)
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound Studio (NY)
ABOUT THE ALBUM
"In December 2008 I met up with guitarist-vocalist Kalil Sidy Haïdara in Bamako, Mali. This artist has touched me through his style very much inspired by a traditional instrument called an n’goni (small kora). The whole days we spent jamming on the streets of the Kalaban Coura neighborhood brought back memories of another meeting, dating from 2003, with the Moroccan singer-violinist in Marrakech, Jalal El Allouli: absolutely unexpected and intense. What could be more natural than to envisage bringing together our musical feelings through this new project colored with blues, sounds from the desert and, of course, guitars !" Quentin Dujardin
Mixed at the legendary Fantasy studio in Berkeley (California), the album Kalaban Coura was produced by Lee Townsend. The live sessions performed at La Chapellle Studio capture the acoustic energy born on the street. Endless jams that saw the birth of riffs and songs backed by a grooving rhythm section. The meeting of two guitars – one nylon, the other steel-string – a voice from Bamako and a violin from the Moroccan desert are the ingredients of this disc.
PRESS
"A wonderful jewel, magic for guitar lovers." - Le Nouvel Afrique (BE)
"One of the best world album of this year" - Radio 1 (BE)
"Somewhere between Western groove, African blues & Arabic taste, Kalaban Coura creates a very strong sound looking for a common roots. Simply beautiful album." - Polskie Radio (PL)
"The band gives the pulse with songs like Decentralisation. Definitely the best track from this adventurous album containing an amazing instrumental blues called Bill." - Karla's Wereldmuziek (BE)
"Kalaban Coura enters on the World music Charts Europe, a considerable merit for the band." - Cobra (BE)
"Kalaban Coura: the Art of making music in a different way." - Accroches magazine (BE)
AWARD
- World music Charts Europe (January & February 2012)
- German Record Critics' Award 2012
