His group, Alkibar (the name means 'messenger of the great river' in Sonrai) consists of two acoustic guitars, a njarka (a one-string fiddle), a njurkle (a kind of lute), calabash and djembe percussion, and two female singers as well as male singers in the choruses. Bocoum is the lead vocalist. Bocoum uses music as a medium of communication, commenting on contemporary Malian society, e.g., "if you betray one woman, you betray all women" (Yarabitala), "we live in a crazy world with no respect; tomorrow we’ll be judged by our children" (Salamm aleikum), "parents, do not force your daughters to marry; a home will never flourish without true love" (Mali woymoyo).
Most of his singing is done in Sonrai, his native language, but also in Tamasheq (the language of the Tuareg) and in Peul (the language of the Fula people). Bocoum's father was a musician and was noted locally for his ability to play the njarka and njurkel, which he employed to play music at weddings. Bocoum used to accompany his father to the weddings and there learnt the songs of the se galarare style of music. He retained his preference for acoustic over electric guitar, and the use of traditional instruments. As well as the Malian musicians he grew up with, Bocoum cites Jorge Benjor, Mamadou Doumbia, Salif Keita, John Lee Hooker, and Mongo Santamaria as his musical influences.
In 1968, at the age of thirteen, he joined the group of guitarist Ali Farka Toure and singer Harber Maiga as an apprentice. It was Maiga who taught Bocoum to sing and to write songs. Maiga mentored Bocoum until his death on 23 March 1983. Bocoum's first solo performance came in 1968 at a musical competition in Mopti. He was well received by the public. In 1972 he performed in front of 3000 people at Mali's second Biennale in Bamako, which was held every two years from 1970 to 1990, when Musa Traore was overthrown. The Bambara people were dominant in Malian affairs at that time and because of his Sonrai ethnicity, Bocoum was only awarded second prize.
He left the Niafunke group in 1975 when he won a scholarship to an agricultural college in M'Pessoba, near Koutiala in the southeast of the country. After three years of study he began working in Djenné, before returning to his home town, and the group, in 1980. In 1982 he was invited to join the Orchestre Diaba Regional from Timbuktu. In the early 1980s he formed Alkibar, and influenced by his knowledge of agriculture, used their music to communicate with people about water and irrigation.
His debut album, Alikibar, was recorded in an abandoned school near Niafunke over the course of six days - the same session and location where the Ali Farka Toure's Niafunke was recorded. In fact, Ali Farka and Bocoum appeared on each other's albums. Bocoum and Ali Farka's record producer believed that transporting the group to a recording studio overseas would diminish the quality of the music.
In 2002 Bocoum collaborated with the Blur singer Damon Albarn on the successful Mali Music album, and the two played together in concerts in London and Denmark.
In 2006, Afel Bocoum and his band, Alkibar, released their second full-length album Niger on the Belgian label Contre-Jour. The sounds of Niger rely heavily on the traditional instruments njarka and njurkel, which give this collection of new materials a more traditional, and distinctively different quality from their excellent Western debut, Alkibar. Niger opens with a heartfelt and stirring tribute to his late mentor, Ali Farka Toure.
Alasidi
Afel Bocoum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
À partir du contrat, il n′y a pas de
Retour en arrière
Le tournant d'une carrière
En Corée n′étant pas
Sincère Les vacances ont été
Amusantes
Le contrat, toujours intact
Les mains saisissantes
Attrapent tout ce qu'elles peuvent
Tout pour eux-mêmes - après tout Les mains saisissantes
Attrapent tout ce qu'elles peuvent
Tout pour eux-mêmes - après tout C′est un monde compétitif
The lyrics of Afel Bocoum's song "Alasidi" reflect a cynical view of the world in which people are only interested in their own success and will do whatever it takes to get ahead. The opening line, "La poignée de main scelle le contrat" (The handshake seals the deal), suggests that agreements are made quickly and without much consideration for the consequences. Once the contract is signed, there is no going back. The next line, "Le tournant d'une carrière en Corée n'étant pas sincère" (The turning point in a career in Korea not being sincere), suggests that this cut-throat attitude is not limited to one culture or industry. The singer notes that they had fun on vacation, but ultimately, it is all about winning. The repeated line, "Les mains saisissantes attrapent tout ce qu'elles peuvent, tout pour eux-mêmes - après tout" (The grasping hands take everything they can, all for themselves - after all), emphasizes the self-centered nature of people in this world.
Overall, the song is both a commentary on the current state of the world and a warning to the listener. The lyrics paint a picture of a world in which everyone is only concerned with their own success and will stop at nothing to achieve it. The repetition of the line about grasping hands serves as a reminder that this kind of behavior may lead to temporary success, but it is ultimately empty and unsatisfactory.
Line by Line Meaning
La poignée de main scelle le contrat
Shaking hands seals the deal
À partir du contrat, il n′y a pas de Retour en arrière
Once the contract is signed, there's no turning back
Le tournant d'une carrière En Corée n′étant pas Sincère
The turning point in a career not being sincere in Korea
Les vacances ont été Amusantes
The holiday was fun
Le contrat, toujours intact
The contract, still intact
Les mains saisissantes Attrapent tout ce qu'elles peuvent Tout pour eux-mêmes - après tout
Gripping hands grab everything they can, all for themselves - after all
Les mains saisissantes Attrapent tout ce qu'elles peuvent Tout pour eux-mêmes - après tout
Gripping hands grab everything they can, all for themselves - after all
C′est un monde compétitif
It's a competitive world
Writer(s): Afel Bocoum
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.