It all starts in Bobo-Dioulasso in 2019 at the Badara festival. It’s the first time singer-flutist Clotilde Rullaud (top 3 jazz singers in Jazz News x Jazz Magazine 2022 and 2023) hits Burkina Faso, and she clicks instantly with drummer Achille Nacoulma and guitarist Abdoulaye Traore (Fatoumata Diawara, Debademba, Le bal de l’Afrique enchantée…), luminaries of the Burkinabè music scene. Kanazoe (Mamadou Diabate, Kanazoe Orkestra…) hops in on the balan, and Boubacar Djiga joins on the kunde, completing the crew.
They cook up some magic in the warmth of Bobo’s studios, blending slam, songs in French, Dioula, More, and English, riding the improvisational wave, all while staying true to the traditional beats of West Africa. Kananayé’s sound travels from Paris to Bobo, spinning tales of today’s life, dipping into blues, and flirting with Afro-American vibes. It’s a real fusion, driven by their tight bond and the sheer joy of making music together.
As they say on Bobo’s streets, “Kananayé,” it’s not all smooth sailing, but they’ll figure it out!