Leni Stern was sent by UNESCO to mentor sound engineers in Mali. Somewhere along the way, she spent two years playing music across Africa. By e-mail, Leni discussed how this album is different from previous albums, her approach to learning Malian music, and what she might be doing if she weren't making music.
How is Sabani different from previous albums?
On my last several CDs I have invited all of my friends to join me. I specifically wrote songs that would feature all the great African musicians I had met, for example "Farafina Cadi, Beautiful Africa" that I composed as a duet with Toumani Diabate, the great Malian kora player, or "Show Me Your Face" from Spirit in the Water that features Bassekou Kouyate. For Sabani we played as a trio with Haruna Samake on camala n'goni and Prince (Mamadou Kone) on calabash and tama. The title"An Saba" means us three, in Bamabara, the local language. We had a few guests: Zoumana Tareta on sokou and voice and my favorite African singer Ami Sacko on another track, but it's mainly a very acoustic trio album. I also mixed it in Africa with Abou Cisse, my favorite African engineer.
What was the most fulfilling thing about making this album?
Haruna, Prince and I had played in Salif Keita's band for a few years. We spent many hours in rehersals together where we had many chances to play - waiting for Salif. We always had the best time playing together and we have since recorded four CDs together in bigger bands. On Sabani it's finally just us. Haruna's wife cooked for us and came on her moped to the studio every day to feed us. What more can we expect from life? Great food, great friends, great music.
This album seems like a voyage of discovery for you. Describe your learning process for learning both the ngoni and the Malian styles.
Haruna and Prince have been my friends and my teachers. They showed me all the secrets of Malian music. Prince taught me to play calabash and Haruna taught me many beautiful old songs and the way to play them. For this CD Prince suggested some less well-known rhythms from the Peul and Bobo people. We constructed grooves around them and I went looking for words and melodies. I have also studied the n'goni, the African lute for many years with Bassekou Kouyate and his family and have studied singing with my friend Ami Sacko. I have spent countless hours with the recordings I made on my travels, trying to fit all these new discoveries into my musical universe. Trying to unravel the mystery of African rhythms, trying to catch the beautiful phrasing of African melodies. Deceptively simple songs that will twist your mind if you attempt to notate them!
What does it mean to you to have toured with artists like Baaba Maal?
I have been so fortunate to be in great bands like Sailf Keita and Baaba Maal. The best way to learn African music is trial by fire! That's for sure. But there came a point where everything all of a sudden made sense and I wondered why it took me so long to understand this music.
What would you be doing if you weren't making music?
If I would not be a musician, I'd be a dancer. Maybe a biologist.
This trio performs Tuesday 14 February at The Blue Whale in Los Angeles. Tickets for this show are $10. The show begins at 9.
