Fass Bougnoul - Music

Touré Kunda Is A Senegalese Band Formed In 1979 And Noted For Their Musical Versatility And Political Activism. They Have Recorded In More Than Six Languages And Collaborated With Well-Known Artists Such As Carlos Santana And Talking Heads. With Considerable Success In Africa And Europe They Are Active In Social Causes Such As Children's Rights And Advocates For The Homeless. Touré Kunda Was Originally Formed In 1979 By The Brothers Amadou Touré Born 1943 Ismaila Touré Born 1950 And Sixu Tidiane Touré Born 1950 . Ousmane Touré Born 1955 Joined The Group A Few Years Later. They Were Born To Soninké Parents In The Casamance Region Of Senegal. The Name Touré Kunda Translates Literally From The Soninké Language As "elephant Family". Their Parents Were Daby Touré 1875-1956 And His Wives Mafili Sixu Tidiane Masse Amadou Seckou And Ismaila And Dionfolo Ousmane . The Touré Brothers Developed Local Renown As A Singing And Percussion Group Playing Music Based On Traditional Senegalese Rhythms Known As Djabadong. In The Late 1970s The Three Brothers Moved To Paris And Began Experimenting Musically. The Basis Of Their Music Remained Traditional African Rhythms Enhanced With The Incorporation Of Reggae And Other Influences. Acoustic Performances Centered On Vocals Kora Balafon And Percussion Evolved Over Time To Include Electric Instruments And Synthesizers. The Brothers Expanded The Group To Include Several Musicians From France And Elsewhere. Touré Kunda Released Their First Album In 1980 É'mma Africa Which Included Their Signature Hit "É'mma". This Album Initiated The Band's Relationship With The Celluloid Label Which Was To Last Until About 1987. A Second Release Soon Followed Touré Kunda 1981 And The Group Performed Regularly Around Paris To Support These Albums. Tragically Amadou Collapsed On Stage And Subsequently Died In January 1983. Touré Kunda Carried On Though Bringing In Brother Ousmane Touré Born 1955 And Paying Tribute To Their Former Bandleader With Their Third Album Amadou Tilo 1983 . In 1984 The Group Successfully Toured West Africa Including Mali Cote D'Ivoire And Home Country Senegal. Upon Return They Recorded Their Fourth Album Casamance Au Clair De Lune 1984 . A Film From The Tour Was Shown On French Television Leading To Tours Of France And The UK As Well As The Live Double Album Live Paris-Ziguinchor 1984 . In December They Joined Manu Dibango And Several Other African Performers To Record "Tam-Tam Pour L'Éthiopie" A Famine Relief Benefit. The Band's Reputation Rapidly Grew To Encompass An International Audience. Touré Kunda Soon Followed This Remarkable Success With Their Fifth Album Natalia 1985 . With Producer Bill Laswell At The Helm And Several Major Performers Sitting In The Band Incorporated A Fully Modern Sound Including Synthesizers. The Touré Brothers Left Celluloid To Sign With Trema Music In France. The First Album With Trema Toubab Bi 1987 Was Also Released On Celluloid The Following Year As Karadindi. With Trema In The Early 1990s Touré Kunda Recorded Two New Albums Salam 1990 And Sili Béto 1993 And A Second Live Set Sounké 1991 . Although These Were Fine And Critically Acclaimed Albums The Label Released Them Only In France And Provided Little Support. Several Members Of The Band Moved On To Form Kaoma Which Soon Found Success With Their Major International Hit "La Lambada" 1989 . A Fifth Touré Brother Hamidou Joined The Group For Salam And Sounké Though He And Ousmane Both Left Before Sili Béto. Hamidou Later Released A Successful Solo Album As Séta Touré Titled Simply Africa 1994 And Later As L'Album 1996 . Touré Kunda Once Again Based On The Original Duo Of Ismaila And Sixu Tidiane Signed With WEA And Regained International Exposure With The Stunning Mouslaï In Late 1996. In 1999 The Group Initiated A Flurry Of High Profile Activities With The Release Of Légende A Set Of Newly Recorded Versions Of Songs From Earlier Albums Including Several From The Trema Years. That Same Year Santana Released The Runaway Hit Album Supernatural Which Includes "Africa Bamba" An Outstanding Cover Of Touré Kunda's "Guerrilla" From Salam 1990 . They Followed Up Soon After With Terra Saabi 2000 Their First Set Of New Material In Four Years. Tracks Include A Cover Of The Phil Collins Hit "In The Air Tonight" Called "Nobel" And A Re-Make Of The Group's Own Song "Cindy". In 2001 The Touré Brothers Somehow Found Time To Contribute Guest Appearances To New Releases By Macaco And Alpha Blondy. They Also Launched The Official Web Site Www.Toure-Kunda.Com In April 2001. Omar And Daby Touré Cousins From The Next Generation Formed The Group Touré Touré. Their Debut Album Laddé 1999 Found International Success And Yielded The Hit "Yorro". Séta Touré Continued His Solo Success With Douna 2000 And Ousmane Touré Contributed A Guest Appearance To Tania Libertad's Costa Negra 2002 . A Greatest Hits Album Best Of Was Released In 2006. Their Album Santhiaba Came Out In 2008. read less