Live: Les Amazones d’Afrique at Brighton Festival

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.”

Arwa Haider, who reviewed the show for The Guardian said:

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.”

The gig was the second date in the band’s first tour of the UK, and followed their TV debut on Later with Jools Holland.

Setlist

Brighton Dome, 24 May 2018

1. Desert Storm 
2. Mansa Soyari
3. Doona
4. Kanakasi
5. Nebao
6. Deep In Love
7. Garaba Mama
8. Madia (Wedding)
9. Mamani Blues

Encore:
10. Anisokoma

Featured release

  • République Amazone

    Les Amazones d’Afrique

    Released 10 March 2017

    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.

By Oran Mullan

Published on Fri, 25 May 18

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