It is enough. the cold. The darkness. Let’s go. But where to go in the face of concerns about flying shame and the CO 2 mishap? The answer: Just stay at home, mix a fruity Caribbean drink, turn on the system and feed it with sunshine: Although the master comes from the Ivory Coast and courageously charges his songs with admonishing political power, he causes trouble with his eleventh album called Token Jan Fakoly “Braquage de Pouvoir” for bobbing hips and an Afro-Caribbean feeling. Our summery winter album of the week.
The West African has been regularly listed in the charts in France, Belgium and Switzerland for over 20 years. In 2007 he even stayed there for 57 weeks with “L’Africain” in France and climbed to fourth place. Before that, the 54-year-old became known regionally in his home country of Ivory Coast with his band The Djélys. Trademarks: Dark, blazing voice and committed political power on Afro beats. Token Jan Fakoly is considered one of the most influential reggae greats on his continent.
His eleventh album “Braquage de Pouvoir” is about the “stealing of power”. Again and again, still an explosive topic. Not only in Africa. He is a political admonisher who was not only heard acoustically and was able to exert influence in his country through his musical messages. His themes are rooted in the fight for justice, against corruption. But he also focuses on philosophical topics. Tiken Jan Fakoly obviously has charisma: this also permeates his vocals, which are characterized by a certain severity. No happy “Bacardi feeling”. Nevertheless, his messages sound hopeful, energetic – and danceable. Hardly anyone can resist at least a rocking of the beats. People worship him for it, especially in West Africa.
The music highlights of Token Jan Fakoly “Braquage de Pouvoir:
First a few words about the sound, which the sound engineers of the studios in the recording locations Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, in Bamako in Mali and in Paris managed to do very well. Matching the hip-circling rhythms, the songs sound gripping in the bass range, sometimes extremely deep, the timbres are right, vocals are radiant, resolution and spatial structure are also pleasing. The arrangements were made by Guillaume Briard aka Stepper, the “most Jamaican French saxophonist”.
Beautiful: The album combines African instruments such as the balafon, a gourd xylophone or the five-stringed ngoni, a “internal pike lute”. The soku violin played by the shepherds of the Sahel desert is also exotic. This is joined by the West African lute harp kora ( see also the music of the virtuoso Balaké Sissoko ). The musicians recite the texts in French, English, but also in African languages such as Nguni or Dioula and Bambara.
The opener “Enfants de la rue” catches you with gripping rhythms. The song is joined by French slam poet Grand Corps Malade, who tries to give a voice to the street kids that live in many cities around the world. “…You always promised me a family, but where are you now, dad…?” Musically, balafon spots focus on the gripping rhythms.
In “Où est-ce que tu vas?” Fakoly asks African youth insistently which path in life they want to take. Dry drums, polyphonic vocals, brass and a smooth flow form the acoustic cushions. In “Religion” the ngoni and soku violins have their delicately strung appearance, a low-pressure bass counteracts the whole thing powerfully.
“I Can Hear” then heralds the reggae – musical groove instigator is the Jamaican colleague Winston McAnuff alias “Electric Dread”. Hips and dancing legs get moving – a hearty roots reggae hit with an African touch. Includes drum, bass and kora. Cool. Hey Jamaica! “Ca Va aller” bewitches with chilled string art… The warm air caresses your cheeks, your eyes blink drowsily at the glitter of the gentle, turquoise sea waves. The world is beautiful. And “Don’t Worry” passes as a joyful ode to hope, in a team with the two Malian singers Amadou & Mariam, who set magical vocal accents. In addition, subtly plucked string work and crisp drums.
Where does Fakoly get all this energy from? Quick response: “Activism! Activism gives me the strength to keep on fighting… I still believe in the great and global awakening of Africa.”