Les Amazones d'Afrique arrived in Brighton last night on the second date of their UK tour, performing in front of a packed audience at the Dome. The event was part of this year's Brighton Festival.
The line-up featured vocalists Rokia Koné, Mamani Keita and Awa Sangho, who performed tracks from the band’s debut album République Amazone, as well as the recently released ‘Mamani Blues’ and new songs ‘Garaba Mama’ and ‘Kanakasi’. Throughout the event, the singers promoted their message of gender equality and urged an exuberant audience to “spread the love.”
“Their vocal strengths radiate; Sangho, Koné and Keita are elegantly powerful in unison, and individually supportive. They look as vivacious and regal as they sound.”
Nick Hasted, in his review for Uncut, said:
“There’s a scratch in the grain of Rokia Koné’s voice, lending her exhortations a punkish abrasion.”
Les Amazones d'Afrique are an all-female collective of west African musicians campaigning for gender equality. They have been described as a supergroup, and the characterisation seems apt. Angélique Kidjo, Kandia Kouyaté, Mamani Keita, Mariam Doumbia, Mariam Koné, Massan Coulibaly, Mouneissa Tandina, Nneka, Pamela Badjogo and Rokia Koné hold a strong pedigree.
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