Review: Rokia Koné, The Jam Jar – ‘An exhilarating exhibition of artistry’

Remember the pandemic? That old chestnut.

What were you up to? Virtual quizzes, aye. Bashing pans in thanks to the NHS? Check. Baking banana bread? Undoubtedly.

Well, Rokia Koné was working remotely with rock producer Jacknife Lee to shape her debut album, BAMANAN. Now widely lauded and award-winning, the record is an exhilarating exhibition of artistry which manifests as a wonderful live experience.

Jacknife Lee has previously worked with certified up-and-comers U2, R.E.M., and Taylor Swift. He’s got an anthem in him, that’s for sure.

 

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The album’s production is stripped back for the stage, lending itself to intimacy, improvisation, and mesmerising melodies. The atmospheric keys were missed, mind.

Best-selling author Maryse Condé says Rokia “combines gentleness and force”. You absolutely feel both.

Rokia Koné’s voice is as staggering in the ethereal, prayer-like moments of N’yanyan as in the euphoric, electronica-laden Mayougouba.

It’s a voice with an aching, implacable quality to it — at times grounded and mournful, at others soaring and other-worldly.

There are spoken-word passages with astonishing emotional crescendos, like she’s telling you off (albeit with a beaming smile) and then honing in on the key takeaway. The variation maintains the pulse of anticipation around the room.

Kurunba is “like a curse,” telling a story of redemption and revenge driven by marching drums.

The Calabash dome offers deep bass, offset by clickers and two cymbals. No sticks in sight. Yahael Camara Onono is a marvellous percussionist, and integral to the gig’s nifty rhythms. He’s also Koné’s translator and chief cheerleader.

Salif Koné (no relation, I believe) is absolutely nuts on guitar, riffing out mande grooves, bluesy rhythms, and shredding solos packed with reverb. The ‘Mandigue’ and ‘Bamana’ musical styles cater to wonderful meandering turns that totally steal the limelight.

But not for long.  Rokia soon enough thinks — ah, ok I’ll step back up to the mic.

She was also a member of the West African music collective Les Amazones d’Afrique

Before her solo efforts, Rokia was a member of West African feminist supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique, where she cultivated “the rich tradition of griot storytelling.” Now, her confidence (oodles) and talent (absolute shedload) carries the style forward with serious aplomb.

Honestly, it’s up there with the most powerful voices I’ve witnessed live. One track traces the perils of love and the will to overcome them. Another features exclamations of “Vive la femme” — drawing raucous cheers from the crowd. The call-and-response of Mansa Soyari keeps things ticking along.

It’s tricky to speculate on the nuances of the tracks. I don’t speak Bambara — Mali’s principal language. But you also needn’t grasp the lyrics to fall under the spell of Rokia Koné’s music.

And let’s be fair: The Jam Jar always brings the energy. Appreciation sweeps the place, and it’s nigh-on impossible to leave without feeling a touch warmer about music, culture, the human condition.

The event was made possible by the global music fanatics and master cultivators at Bristol-based Ear Trumpet Music — the same bunch that brought Vieux Farka Toure’s magnetism to the Bristol Beacon earlier this year.

We can’t wait to see what else they’ve got lined up.

All photos: Samuel Fletcher

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