Blick Bassy

The new soulful voice of Africa

Don't miss this unique occasion to discover the new soulful voice of Cameroon.

Soulful Cameroonian singer Blick Bassy was born in Yaounde in 1974. During his childhood he lived with his grandparents in Mintaba and was immersed in rural cultural traditions. In 1996 he formed Macase which won several national and international awards, including the RFI Prize for World Music in 2001 and Best New African Group by the KORA Awards in 2003.

His first solo album, Léman, released in 2009, was recorded at Salif Keita’s studio in Bamako, Mali and in Paris, where Bassy is now based.

As a solo artist he worked with Manu Dibango, Cheickh Tidiane Seck and Etienne Mbappe and his warm and soft tone is being associated with the music of Richard Bona and Lokua Kanza

On his album, the singer/ songwriter/ guitarist/ percussionist connects the music of Central and West Africa and mixes it with bossa nova, jazz and soul. Bassy’s guitar playing and intoxicating, soft voice are enriched by the kora, calabash and a double bass resulting in a unique, haunting sound which is velvety with subtle harmonies, yet also raw with groovy rhythms.

“There’s no doubting his talent: Bassy’s voice is warm and languorous, effortlessly reaching upper registers and swooping to the occasional husky low.”

Jane Cornwell, Songlines

“These elements form smooth, complex rythms over which Blinck’s creamy vocals play. An accomplished debut.”

Robert Spellman, Daily Express

Blick Bassy Live video-Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6FEFhqIzbY&feature=player_embedded

Interview (in French)- Mondomix:

http://mondomix.com/fr/show-video5097.htm

Have a preview of Blick Bassy music on:

www.myspace.com/blickbassy2

www.worldconnection.nl/blickbassy

General Admission: $10, Alliance Française members only $5

More about Blick Bassy:

Léman was recorded in Salif Keita’s studio in Bamako, Mali, and in Bassy’s current hometown of Paris, and co-produced by Jean Lamoot (known for his work with Souad Massi, Salif Keita, Nneka and Kasse Mady Diabaté) and Jean-Louis Solans. 

It is Bassy’s first solo album, as well as his first album for the World Connection label. Blick explains, “Léman means ‘mirror’. Léman is about my past, really, and about being African. I see the problems that Africa suffers from and cannot do anything. It’s one of the reasons why I sing in my own language, Bassa, which is one of the 260 Cameroonian languages that fewer and fewer children know how to speak. With that, cultures and traditions are lost forever.

Born in 1974, Bassy grew up with 20 siblings in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, a city where people from all parts of the country come together, and the first languages are French and English.

Aged 10, Bassy was sent to live with his grandparents for two years in Mintaba, a small village situated in the centre of Cameroon.  His grandparents initiated Bassy into traditional customs and culture, training him in a variety of tasks, such as hunting, fishing and agriculture.  He was also educated in their musical traditions. In Mintaba, daily life is accompanied by music and it was there that Blick discovered the Bolobo (chant for fishing), the Dingoma (chant and percussion for the inauguration of Mbombock chiefs), the Bekele (chant and percussion for weddings), the Hongo (chant for funerals) and the Assiko (guitar percussion, chant and dance). “My mother used to sing from morning till night. She’s the one who fired my musical aspirations and taught me how to sing. Back at my parents’ home, I started listening to Marvin Gaye, Gilberto Gil and Nat King Cole. I realised I wanted to blend the beauty of my Bassa culture and its musical traditions with other music that inspired me and create my own soulful sound.”

In 1996 Blick Bassy formed a new band called Macase. During almost 10 fruitful years Macase released two acclaimed albums, Etam (1999) and Doulou (2003), as well as picking up various regional and international awards, including the RFI Prize for World Music (2001), Best Group by MASA (2001), Best New African Group by the KORA Awards (2003) and the CICIBA Prize (2003).

Then in 2005, Bassy decides to leave Macase and he moves to Paris where he starts working with Manu Dibango, Cheikh Tidiane Seck, Lokua Kanza and Etienne Mbappé.  A few years later he signs to the World Connection label and he finally gets to do work on his solo album, Léman.

About the album he says: “I’ve been creating and carrying some of these songs around in my head for the past five years. Every detail is a part of me. It feels great to have been able to record them now and share them on stage.  The song ‘Bolo’, for instance, is about having to leave your country and missing it. Lots of Africans have to move away from their hometowns to make a living. I’m the perfect example. But I also enjoy my travels to other places because I’m always looking for musical encounters. One of my trips took me to Mali and other West African countries. The Malian griot music is very present in the instrumentation (kora, ngoni), harmonies and melodies of this album.”

www.myspace.com/blickbassy2

www.worldconnection.nl/blickbassy