JeConte & the Mali Allstars Their new album Mali Blues was captured in Bamako, Mali at Yeelen Studios during the 2012 coup d'etat. The sessions feature West African heavyweights Khaira Arby, Adama Dramé, Bassekou Kouyate, Boubacar Sidibé, & Vieux Farka Touré, collaborating with Northern California/New Orleans livewire JeConte in an exciting border crossing musical exploration. The album delivers hypnotically soulful tunes that merge West African rhythms, reggae strains and Afropop grooves with seductive New Orleans blues and earthy California rock music. The nucleus of Mali Blues is blues-rock singer-harmonica player JeConte, singer-songwriter-harmonica player Boubacar Sidibé and singer-songwriter-electric guitar virtuoso Adama Dramé. The three met in Timbuktu, Mali at the renowned Festival in the Desert in 2010, and soon the trio began to create an original style of blues that strikes to the heart of foundational, soulful blues, a sound redolent of the genre's Motherland origins, as well as the fragrant American evolution. As a full band, the trio leads a roaring group that includes Mamadou Kone (Bamada) on percussion and talking drum, Sekou Bah (Oumou Sangaré) on bass, and Souleymane Ann (Bamada) on drums, who weave deep West Africa rhythms and seductive improvisational bass and drums into songs that hum with the hardship and experience of this unique land, dappled with echoes from across the ocean. JeConte brings lightening harmonica chops and a deep, bluesy vocal style to the band. His performance is a one-of-a-kind, high vibrational musical experience-embodying what live, funky, blues-rock is all about. Residing in Northern California and having spent a great deal of time in New Orleans, JeConte has played with multiple bands over the years and believes that JeConte & the Mali Allstars is a culmination of these efforts. He is actively touring with his own project at festivals and clubs throughout the United States and is looking forward to touring with his Malian brothers. To learn more about JeConte go to JeConte.com. You can listen to the latest JeConte release on iTunes: Sweet Northern California. Boubacar Sidibe is one of the leading members of the Mali Allstars. Referred to as 'Crow' by members of the band, or 'old wise man,' he contributes years of World touring experience and outstanding musical leadership. He performs 'lefty' on a right-handed rhythm guitar and brings his beautiful melodic voice and chromatic harmonica to the group. Boubacar is best known as the guitar player for Habib Koité's band, Bamada and is an integral part of the performance. Boubacar has played with Habib for over ten years and continues to perform all over the World. He brings that same musical mastery to the Mali Allstars, with amazing guitar and harmonica licks... a 'do not miss' performance indeed. Adama Drame is the lead guitar player for multiple bands throughout Mali, and a force to be reckoned with. Considered by many as the 'Jimi Hendrix' of Mali, he has an amazing, lightening guitar style, plays with his teeth and delivers an 'out of this world' live performance. If there is something that can be done with a guitar, Adama can do it. Adama Drame has toured throughout Africa with Fantani Touré, Charlie Arby and multiple other Malian bands over the past two decades. He brings his non-stop energy to the Mali Allstars and contributes his original songwriting, guitar and n'goni playing to live performances and the recent studio album, Mali Blues. Sekou Bah, life-long friend of Adama Drame, is a bass player extraordinaire and dynamic performer with a wealth of musical knowledge. Sekou Bah plays throughout Africa and performs internationally with world-renowned singer Oumou Sangaré. He is an exceptionally talented musician, and when not touring internationally with Oumou, he is furiously working away in his home studio, Hampathe Bah. It is at Hampathe Bah Studio in Bamako where JeConte &the Mali Allstars recorded their debut album, MALI BLUES, and Sekou Bah not only plays bass but was also the lead engineer, while helping to produce the entire record. Mahamadou Kone is JeConte & the Mali Allstars' 'Mad Percussionist.' He is a master and also plays traditional n'gone. He performs on the traditional Malian bass drum, the Kalabash, the talking drum and multiple other percussive devices that he pulls from his bag-of-tricks. Mahamadou, a long-time member of Habib Koité's band, Bamada, has toured internationally with Koité for the past seven years. He also performs throughout Mali in many other projects. Mahamadou brings an incredible infectious energy to the Mali Allstars' live performance with his wireless talking-drum magic. Ibou Doucoure is the man!!! Let's face without having someone like Ibou this project could not have happened. Ibou is a selfless supporter of music and a great friend of JeConte, Boubacar and our 'late great' brother Mangala Camara. Ibou helps to facilitate all that is needed when in Bamako and he is an invaluable part of the team and the project. He is also the point person to the band for coordinating anything and everything and helping to make it all work while in Mali. Ibou is shown here on the right hand side of the image with the 'late great' Mangala Camara in the cowboy hat and our brother Boubacar Sidibe in the middle...Thank you Ibou for all you do mon frer...