Habib Koité was born in 1958 in Thiès, a Senegalese town situated on the railway line connecting Dakar to the river Niger, where his father worked on the construction of the tracks. Six months after his birth, the Koité family returned to the regional capital of west Mali, Kayes, and then to Bamako. Habib comes from a noble line of Khassonké griots, traditional troubadors who provide wit, wisdom and musical entertainment at social gatherings and special events. Habib grew up surrounded by seventeen brothers and sisters, and developed his unique guitar style accompanying his griot mother. He inherited his passion for music from his paternal grandfather who played the kamele n'goni, a traditional four-stringed instrument associated with hunters from the Wassolou region of Mali. "Nobody really taught me to sing or to play the guitar," explains Habib, "I watched my parents, and it washed off on me."
Habib was headed for a career as an engineer, but on the insistence of his uncle, who recognized Habib's musical talent, he enrolled at the National Institute of Arts (INA) in Bamako, Mali. In 1978, after only six months, he was made conductor of INA Star, the school's prestigious band. He studied music for four years, graduating at the top of his class in 1982. (In fact his talent was so impressive, that upon graduation, the INA hired him as a guitar teacher). During his studies, Habib had the opportunity to perform and play with a series of recognized Malian artists, including Kélétigui Diabaté and Toumani Diabaté. He sang and played on Toumani Diabaté's 1991 release Shake the World (Sony), and Kélétigui Diabaté is now a full-time member of Habib's band.
Habib takes some unique approaches to playing the guitar. He tunes his instrument to the pentatonic scale and plays on open strings as one would on a kamale n'goni. At other times Habib plays music that sounds closer to the blues or flamenco, two styles he studied under Khalilou Traoré a veteran of the legendary Afro-Cuban band Maravillas du Mali. Unlike the griots, his singing style is restrained and intimate with varying cadenced rhythms and melodies.
Mali has rich and diverse musical traditions, which have many regional variations and styles that are particular to the local cultures. Habib is unique because he brings together different styles, creating a new pan-Malian approach that reflects his open-minded interest in all types of music. The predominant style played by Habib is based on the danssa, a popular rhythm from his native city of Keyes. He calls his version danssa doso, a Bambara term he coined that combines the name of the popular rhythm with the word for hunter's music (doso), one of Mali's most powerful and ancient musical traditions. "I put these two words together to symbolize the music of all ethnic groups in Mali. I'm curious about all the music in the world, but I make music from Mali. In my country, we have so many beautiful rhythms and melodies. Many villages and communities have their own kind of music. Usually, Malian musicians play only their own ethnic music, but me, I go everywhere. My job is to take all these traditions and to make something with them, to use them in my music."
In 1988, Habib formed his own group, Bamada (a nickname for residents of Bamako that roughly translates "in the mouth of the crocodile"), with young Malian musicians who had been friends since childhood. In 1991, Habib won first prize at the Voxpole Festival in Perpignan, France, which earned him enough money to finance the production of two songs. One of those tracks, "Cigarette A Bana (The Cigarette is Finished)" was a hit throughout West Africa. After the release of another successful single entitled, "Nanalé (The Swallow)," Habib received the prestigious Radio France International (RFI) Discoveries prize. This award made it possible for the group to undertake their first tour outside of Africa during the summer of 1994.
In January 1995, Habib met his current manager, Belgian Michel De Bock, who, along with his partner Geneviève Bruyndonckx, are the directors of the management and production company Contre-Jour.
Working together, they recorded his first album Muso Ko. Upon its release the album quickly reached #2 in the European World Music Charts. From that point forward, Habib became a fixture on the European festival circuit and began to spread his infectious music and high energy shows around the world. Habib has played at most of Europe's major venues and festivals, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival, WOMAD, and the World Roots Festival. In the spring 2000, he even toured Europe and Turkey as an invited guest with the legendary avant-garde jazz group, the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Habib's second album, Ma Ya, was released in Europe in 1998 to widespread acclaim. It spent an amazing three months at the top spot on the World Charts Europe. A subtle production which revealed a more acoustic, introspective side of Habib's music, Ma Ya was released in North America by Putumayo World Music in early 1999 and quickly helped establish Habib as one of world music's most exciting new figures.
Ma Ya spent 20 weeks in the top 20 of the College Music Journal New World music chart, and broke new ground at AAA rock radio, spending several months in regular rotation on commercial stations across the country. The album held the number one spot on the World Charts Europe for an amazing three months. Ma Ya has sold over 60,000 units in North America and over 100,000 worldwide, which is a tremendous success for a new world music artist.
The critical and commercial response to Ma Ya was tremendous. Habib was featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines including People Magazine, Rolling Stone, Le Monde, Songlines, De Standaard, Le Soir and the cover of Global Rhythm magazine, to name a few. In the years since, he has also been featured in the US on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, WXPN's World Café, PRI's The World, the House of Blues Radio Hour "Mali to Memphis" special, prestigious international programs such as CNN WorldBeat, and in June 2007 was the subject of a two-page photo spread in Vanity Fair magazine. In 2001, Habib Koité and Bamada became one the few African artists to appear on Late Night with David Letterman one of America's most popular television variety shows.
Habib's artistry and powerful personality earned him the adoration of fans such as Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt, both of whom ended up visiting Habib in Mali. They have both done a great deal to support Habib's music, by promoting private events designed to attract new audiences and even performing live with Habib on stage. Habib and his band even made a guest appearance on Bonnie Raitt's 2002 album Silver Lining, in which Bonnie and Habib performed a duet on the co-written song "Back Around."
Habib Koite & Bamada released their third album, Baro, in 2001 on Putumayo. The recording was also a huge success, selling more than 100,000 copies worldwide and further expanding Habib's global audience.
One of the keys to Habib's success has been is dedication to touring. A true road warrior, Habib Koite & Bamada have performed nearly 1000 shows since 1994 and appeared on some of the world's most prestigious concert stages. Habib has also participated in a number of memorable theme tours alongside other artists. In February 1999, Habib and American bluesman Eric Bibb toured in support of the Putumayo compilation Mali to Memphis, which highlighted the connections between Malian and American blues music. In the fall of 2000, Habib participated in the "Voices of Mali" tour with Oumou Sangare, one of West Africa's most renowned artists. Habib has also taken part in the Desert Blues project with fellow Malians Tartit and Afel Boucoum and the Putumayo Presents Acoustic Africa tour with South African troubadour Vusi Mahlasela and the rising young star Dobet Gnahoré from the Ivory Coast.
Habib Koite & Bamada's transfixing performances have endeared them to an ever-growing audience, and in 2003 they released Fôly! , a double CD of live material.
Devoted fans have waited a long time for Habib to return to the recording studio. As with many craftsmen, Habib is a perfectionist, and spends a great deal of time composing and arranging his material. Recorded in Mali, Belgium and Vermont, Afriki finds Habib exploring new musical directions. The overarching theme of Afriki, which means "Africa" in the Malian Bambara language, is about the strengths and challenges of the African continent. "People here in Africa are willing to risk death trying to leave for Europe or the USA, but they are not willing to take that risk staying to develop something here in Africa," says Habib. "Life can be really good or really bad wherever you live. People need to understand that. Even though Mali is poor, we still have good quality of life: You can walk outside and smile and someone will smile back. I have thought about it a lot, and I am not sure if poor countries have a worse quality of life."
N'Tesse
Habib Koité Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Douba kounko téssé salal neyi bolo
A té sala
Diamana ba kounko té sala neyi bolo
Tchiè farigna farigna tè doutigui ya kè
Nafolo tigui ya nafolo tè doutigui ya kè
Douba yin kounko kounko wililé
Né kélén téssé (yéya)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
Bèka wuli fourou mousso bèrèlou yo
A yé wuli nbaw deli kognoya diama min sigui lén
Ma kélén téssé (yéya)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
Bèka wuli doudén koulou lou yo ayé wuli nbaw deli
Dén koundi diama min siguilén ma kélé téssola
Tchiè né kélén téssola nteri
Téssé sala yan (téssé sala yan)
Ecolidén koulou kounko yé kalan ko nign (téssé sala yan)
Donguili dala kounko yé pirati lou yé diama (téssé sala yan)
Kassola dén kouko yé yèrèta nignè diama
Ka dèmè donma, donma, donma
Ka dèmè donma
Téssé sala yan (téssé sala yan)
Chofèri waraba kouko yé kassara nigné (téssé sala yan)
Polissi kè kounko yé lakana nigné diama (téssé sala yan)
Diamana tigui kounko yé diamana koyé diama
Ka dèmè donma, donma, donma
Ka dèmè donma
Né kénlén téssé (yéya)
Né kénlén téssé ola (yéya)
Bèka wuli fourou mousso bèrèlou yo
Ayé wuli nbaw deli sanga bomda diama min siguilén
Ma kélén téssé (yéya)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
Bèka wuli fassodén gnouman louyo
Aayé wuli nbaw déli
Tchiè tchièssiri touma sénlén
Ma kénlén téssé (yéya)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
Bèka wuli doudén kouloulou yo
Ayé wuli nbaw déli
Douba kounko min wulilén ma kélén téssola
The lyrics of Habib Koité's song N'Tesse are predominantly in Bambara, with some words and phrases in other Malian languages such as Songhai and Dogon. The song is about a woman named Téssé Sala, who Koité describes as being powerful and respected. The opening lines of the song, "Téssé sala/Douba kounko téssé salal neyi bolo/A té sala/Diamana ba kounko té sala neyi bolo" convey this sentiment, as Koité sings about the woman being well-known and revered. The following lines delve deeper into Téssé Sala's character, with Koité describing her as being "farigna," or clever, and possessing the ability to navigate complicated situations ("Nafolo tigui ya nafolo tè doutigui ya kè"). The song also touches on the societal structures and issues that Téssé Sala has to contend with, referencing police, government officials, and the struggles of everyday people.
Overall, the lyrics of N'Tesse celebrate the resilience and strength of a powerful woman, while also acknowledging the challenges that she faces. Koité's words paint a vivid image of Téssé Sala, and the song serves as a tribute to both her character and the broader struggles of women in Mali.
Line by Line Meaning
Téssé sala
The true essence of things
Douba kounko téssé salal neyi bolo
The true essence of things is not something that can be easily explained
A té sala
It is what it is
Diamana ba kounko té sala neyi bolo
The true essence of things cannot be captured with words
Tchiè farigna farigna tè doutigui ya kè
The world is complex and full of contradictions
Nafolo tigui ya nafolo tè doutigui ya kè
Good and bad exist together in the world
Douba yin kounko kounko wililé
The essence of things cannot be grasped by the mind alone
Douba yin kounko ma kélén téssé ola
The essence of things can only be revealed through experience
Né kélén téssé (yéya)
This is the true essence (yes)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
This is the true essence that is revealed through experience (yes)
Bèka wuli fourou mousso bèrèlou yo
The women of the village are singing and dancing
A yé wuli nbaw deli kognoya diama min sigui lén
Their happiness is contagious and spreads throughout the village
Ma kélén téssé (yéya)
This is the true essence (yes)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
This is the true essence that is revealed through experience (yes)
Bèka wuli doudén koulou lou yo ayé wuli nbaw deli
The men of the village are also happy and dancing
Dén koundi diama min siguilén ma kélé téssola
Their joy also reveals the true essence of things
Tchiè né kélén téssola nteri
For this is truly the essence of things
Téssé sala yan (téssé sala yan)
The true essence of things is here (the true essence of things is here)
Ecolidén koulou kounko yé kalan ko nign (téssé sala yan)
Everyone can feel it in the air (the true essence of things is here)
Donguili dala kounko yé pirati lou yé diama (téssé sala yan)
Even the birds and animals sense it (the true essence of things is here)
Kassola dén kouko yé yèrèta nignè diama
The warmth of the sun also reveals the true essence of things
Ka dèmè donma, donma, donma
Come dance with me, dance, dance
Chofèri waraba kouko yé kassara nigné (téssé sala yan)
Even the wind carries the essence of things (the true essence of things is here)
Polissi kè kounko yé lakana nigné diama (téssé sala yan)
The city streets also hold the essence of things (the true essence of things is here)
Diamana tigui kounko yé diamana koyé diama
The beauty of nature also reveals the true essence of things
Né kénlén téssé (yéya)
This is the true essence (yes)
Né kénlén téssé ola (yéya)
This is the true essence that is revealed through experience (yes)
Bèka wuli fourou mousso bèrèlou yo
The women of the village are singing and dancing
Ayé wuli nbaw deli sanga bomda diama min siguilén
Their joy brings people together and reveals the true essence of things
Ma kélén téssé (yéya)
This is the true essence (yes)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
This is the true essence that is revealed through experience (yes)
Bèka wuli fassodén gnouman louyo
The young men of the village are also dancing
Aayé wuli nbaw déli
Their joy is also contagious
Tchiè tchièssiri touma sénlén
The drums are beating and the spirits are high
Ma kénlén téssé (yéya)
This is the true essence (yes)
Né kélén téssé ola (yéya)
This is the true essence that is revealed through experience (yes)
Bèka wuli doudén kouloulou yo
The men are still dancing
Ayé wuli nbaw déli
Their joy is still spreading
Douba kounko min wulilén ma kélén téssola
Through their dancing, they too are revealing the true essence of things
Contributed by Anthony P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.