Best Album of 2007
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba’s 'Segu Blue' won a BBC Award for World Music Album of 2007. What was your favourite African album of 2007?
Decided by a panel of experts, such as journalists, musicians, radio presenters, producers and record shop staff, assembled by fRoots magazine, 'Segu Blue' (Out Here Records) by Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba from Mali won the Best Album of the Year 2007 award, part of the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music.
After stepping out of the shadow of the late Ali Farka Touré to form his own ngoni (a four stringed African lute) quartet, Ngoni ba, Bassekou’s brand of deep Malian blues has gathered widespread acclaim and a host of high-profile endorsements, including Taj Mahal, Damon Albarn and Fatboy Slim. 'Segu Blue' celebrates the music of Ségou, Bassekou’s home region on the River Niger in Mali and features the vocals of his wife, Amy Sacko.
Ian Anderson, editor of fRoots, says: "It's a great pleasure to see this year's top placing go to the debut album by the master of an instrument, the ngoni, most western music fans barely know. What's more it has been released by a relatively new independent label who have got this deserved success by hard work and attention to detail. Congratulations all round."
We would like you to tell us what your favourite African album of 2007 is. We have listed a few suggestions below but you don't need to stick to these:
- Tinariwen - 'Aman Iman – Water Is Life' (Independiente)
- Orchestra Baobab - 'Made In Dakar' (World Circus)
- Youssou N’Dour - 'Rokku Mi Rokka' (Nonesuch)
- Angelique Kidjo - 'Djin Djin' (EMI)
- Vieux Farka Toure - 'Vieux Farka Toure' (World Village)
- Habib Koite & Bamada - 'Afriki' (Cumbancha)
- Vusi Mahlasela - 'Guiding Star' (ATO Records)
- Malouma - 'Nour' (Marabi)
- K'Naan - 'The Dusty Foot On The Road' (Allother/ Wrasse)
- Konono No 1 - 'Live At Couleur Café' (Crammed)
- Daby Toure - 'Stereo Spirit' (Real World)
- Madilu System - 'La Bonne Humeur' (Sterns)
- Tiris - 'Sandtracks' (Sandblast)
- Lucky Dube - 'Respect' (Gallo)
- Papa Noel - 'Cafe Noir' (Tumi Music)
- Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba - 'Segu Blue' (Out Here Records)
2007 also saw a number of great African reissues and compilations being released such as:
- Various - 'The Very Best Of Ethiopiques' (Manteca/Union Square)
- Various - 'Authenticité – The Syliphone Years' (Sterns)
- Femi Kuti - 'The Definitive Collection' (Wrasse Records)
- Green Arrows - '4-Track Recording System' (Analog Africa)
- Hallelujah Chicken Run Band - 'Take One 1974-79' (Analog Africa)
- Tabu Ley Rochereau - 'The Voice Of Lightness' (Sterns)
- Bembeya Jazz National - 'The Syliphone Years: Hits & Rare Recordings' (Sterns)
- Mbilia Bel - 'Bel Canto: Best of Genidia 1982-87' (Sterns)
- Bi Kidude - 'Zanzibara 4' (Buda)
- Various - 'Bokoor Beats: Vintage Afro-Beat, Afro-Rock & Electric Highlife from Ghana' (Otrabanda)
- African Virtuoses - 'The Classic Guinean Guitar Group' (Sterns)
- Various - 'Belle Epoque Vol 1: The Syliphone Years' (GUI)
Please leave your comments about your favourite African album of the year, as well as your favourite African acts, on our comments page .
About the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music: The winning artists will be announced on 17 April 2008 at a winners' ceremony in London to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 the following evening. Voting for the BBC Radio 3 Audience Award, decided by Radio 3 listeners, also opens on 17 April. The Poll Winners’ Concert will be held later in the summer of 2008. All 28 nominees in this year’s BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music will be profiled on BBC Radio 3 in four special programmes, Awards For World Music A-Z, broadcast on the first Monday of the month from Monday, 7 January 2008, at 11.15pm. Presented by Lucy Duran, the first programme of the series profiles Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective, Anoushka Shankar, Bajofondo, Balkan Beat Box, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba (nominated in the Africa and Newcomer categories), Bole 2 Harlem and Faiz Ali Faiz.