Country : Canada (Quebec) Label : Real World Genres and styles : Africa / Afro-Antillean / Blues / Caribbean Year : 2023
Bokanté – History

Bokanté – History

· by Michel Labrecque

Bokanté is one of the many incarnations of Texas musician Michael League, leader of the jazz-rock band Snarky Puppy. We saw him at the Montreal Jazz Festival in two different incarnations. With the whole band and with three musicians.

Bokanté is what some would call world music, an expression I detest. With musicians from different continents. Mainly singer Malika Tyrolien from Guadeloupe and Montreal. I admit it: after two albums, including one with Vienna’s dazzling Metropolitan Orchestra, I wondered if this group could still create something new. The answer is yes, without a doubt. Bokanté doesn’t reinvent itself, but matures, like an excellent cheese. Aged like a fine wine. With History, Bokanté still has things to say.

Are we in the Antilles, the Sahara or Arizona? We don’t know, because the band takes us to all these places at once. All to our delight. Bokanté is a strange mix of vocals, percussion and guitars. With three guitarists (Roosevelt Collier, Bob Lanzetti, Chris McQueen), four percussionists (Weedie Braimah, André Ferrari, Jamey Haddad Kuwaiti, Keita Ogawa) and, in the middle, Malika Tyrolien with multiple voices and Michael League on bass, but also on oud, that Maghrebian instrument. It has to be said here that Malika Tyrolien, from Guadeloupe, has never sounded so good, her suave voice, which makes her own harmonies infinite, more assured. She writes most of the lyrics, mostly in Creole, but also in French.

And there’s all that percussion: congas, darbuka, kanjira, surdo, krakeb, djebé, bells and a score of others. And the wall of electric and steel guitars. And everything blends, mixes and complements each other, with excellent studio treatment. A work of art. It’s great, mind-opening music. Michael League is truly one of the most interesting musicians of his generation. And “our” Malika Tyrolien has not finished surprising us.

Latest 360 Content

Laurence Kayaleh / Bernadene Blaha – Noskowski / Zelenski : Violin Sonatas

Laurence Kayaleh / Bernadene Blaha – Noskowski / Zelenski : Violin Sonatas

Quatuor Molinari – Philip Glass : Complete String Quartets, Nos. 5-7, Volume 2

Quatuor Molinari – Philip Glass : Complete String Quartets, Nos. 5-7, Volume 2

Bach Festival | The Pleasures of the Sonata According to Diderot

Bach Festival | The Pleasures of the Sonata According to Diderot

Le Vivier and Orchestre de l’Agora | A Virtuoso Celebration of Contemporary Music

Le Vivier and Orchestre de l’Agora | A Virtuoso Celebration of Contemporary Music

Yellow Eyes – Master’s Murmur

Yellow Eyes – Master’s Murmur

Gnaw Their Tongues – The Cessation of Suffering

Gnaw Their Tongues – The Cessation of Suffering

Nicole Rampersaud – Saudade

Nicole Rampersaud – Saudade

I Gemelli in Montreal: Simply One of the Year’s Great Concerts

I Gemelli in Montreal: Simply One of the Year’s Great Concerts

Sudden Voices – I Knew You At Once

Sudden Voices – I Knew You At Once

Hot Garbage – Mystery

Hot Garbage – Mystery

Le Vivier and Ensemble SuperMusique | The Undeniable Talent and Attention to Detail of Ensemble Super

Le Vivier and Ensemble SuperMusique | The Undeniable Talent and Attention to Detail of Ensemble Super

Bach Festival | Beyond Bach, the Signum Signature

Bach Festival | Beyond Bach, the Signum Signature

Sarah Aristidou – Enigma

Sarah Aristidou – Enigma

On the Record with ROM1

On the Record with ROM1

OSM’s South American Voyage| Breaking Down Barriers

OSM’s South American Voyage| Breaking Down Barriers

Le Vivier and Quasar | Selective Fluidity

Le Vivier and Quasar | Selective Fluidity

Michel Faubert – La Chapelle Ardente

Michel Faubert – La Chapelle Ardente

Orianne Lacaille – iViV

Orianne Lacaille – iViV

Slow Pulp Live is Sad Music for Happy People, or vice versa

Slow Pulp Live is Sad Music for Happy People, or vice versa

Autogramm – Music That Humans Can Play

Autogramm – Music That Humans Can Play

Blue-ji – Blue-ji

Blue-ji – Blue-ji

Rachel Drew – Blaze For You

Rachel Drew – Blaze For You

Mark Steiner & His Problems – Hang On (Twin Flames)

Mark Steiner & His Problems – Hang On (Twin Flames)

M For Montreal Day 4 | Alix Fernz, and Pelada

M For Montreal Day 4 | Alix Fernz, and Pelada

Subscribe to our newsletter