Julien Dembélé - 2011.Jul.03 - Afrikafestival Hertme NL

Was going through not sorted files, looking for something 'out of the box' to post, and found a 2011 recording of Julien Dembélé, unknown to me, at the Afrikafestival in Hertme. Played it, liked it a lot, started searching info about him, and guess what, he's from Mali (so not so 'out of the manguetic box').

Julien Dembélé from the Bobo area in Mali (picture from maliweb)

Julien Dembélé was born in a Mandiakuy griot family, in the Bobo area, in the center of Mali. From an early age his father taught him to play the balafon and the n'goni. At the age of eight he got his first guitar that he learned to play himself. Later he learned to play also piano.
Julien devotes his life to music and plays in various orchestras. Nowadays he sings and accompanies himself on guitar. Together with a balafon player and a percussionist (on gourds) he plays regularly in the cultural center Santoro in Bamako. He is the author and composer of all his songs and sings in the Bambara and Bobo.
For the Afrikafestival he comes from Mali and plays together with musicians residing in the Netherlands Zou and Dra Diarra (formerly of Super Biton and Super Djata Band).
--translated from: live.radio6.nl/2011/08/22/dinsdag-23-augustus-afrikafestival-hertme


DEMBELE-JULIEN-20110703_Hertme R6

setlist: unknown, several songs flow into each other, so not split up into separate tracks (and no soundcloud to listen when downloading)
source: broadcast 2011.Aug.23 - Dutch Radio 6 - Radio 6 Live Show

More info about Julien Dembélé (found very little):

• Echostar: Julien Dembélé sings "Saraka" to make a place for himself in the sun
  2012.May.31, maliweb (in French)
• Ab de Haas: Julien Dembele, about 2013 concerts in Holland
  2013.Apr.25, abdehaas in Dutch

Something more to listen/watch:

• Julien Dembélé's official soundcloud, with some recent recordings
  note: with electronic backing instead of the acoustic in the live recording
• Two youtube videos ca.2010, uploaded by yoshimasterdam (again Holland?):
  Loylo / Saraka
  line-up: Julien Dembélé - chant et guitarre / Kalifa Koné - balafon / Issa Keita - percussion

Note: acc.https://twitter.com/afrikafestival (2012.Mar.20) they uploaded video of Julien Dembélé at Hertme on youtube, but it's not available anymore (disappeared for 'rights reasons')

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own
in the Sahara desert (in Niger)