Introducing Video of the Week from Wales Arts Review. We’ll be showcasing some of the best new art in Wales with a new video shared every week. From music to drama and everything in between, videos will not be limited by medium. This week we’re looking at the official music video for ‘Balafô Douma’ from N’famady Kouyaté -an artist fusing the traditional music of West Africa with a Welsh sound.
It’s time for the first video of the week in August! Today we’re looking at the video for lead single ‘Balafô Douma’ from N’famady Kouyaté’s debut EP Aros I Fi Yna. Originally from Guinea in West Africa, N’famady makes music which blends the Mandingue tradition of his home country with Welsh inspiration taken from his new base in Cardiff.
A multi-instrumentalist and singer, this lead single from N’famady is packed with infectious percussion and the unforgettable sound of his balafon, a traditional wooden xylophone with a rich and personal history to N’famady and his family. The song title translates to: ‘it’s great to be playing balafon’.
The track is international in its scope, recorded at the iconic Rockfield Studios in Wales, with the female vocals recorded back in Guinea. The song is also a tribute to his mother who played an integral role in N’famady’s musical inspiration; he told God is in the TV: “I wanted a female voice from Guinea because of the language and sound […] There are two things going on. Advising somebody to get up and go to play balafon or something but also I’m telling the example of my mum who taught me the balafon.”
You can watch the video for ‘Balafô Douma’ from N’famady Kouyaté below.
Aros I Fi Yna from N’famady Kouyaté is out now via Libertino. You can listen to ‘Balafô Douma’ on Spotify.
