Whether in English, French, or Bambara, Soul Bang’s manages to improvise, drawing inspiration from the context of the moment. He does this several times during his concert at Balattou, sometimes responding to comments from the audience, which is mainly made up of young people but also includes some older folks.

I have rarely seen Balattou so full. Even at the start of the concert, seats were already scarce, but throughout the evening, festival-goers continued to flock in until this legendary venue was packed. Unable to bring his band with him, he surrounded himself with local musicians who had learned the songs beforehand, including a young and talented keyboardist, a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a percussionist.

Dressed in traditional attire, including stylish harem pants, white sneakers, and a hat to match, he takes the stage like a star, judging by the audience’s cheers. Rather than soul, he decides to kick things off with dancehall, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Indeed, he alternates between dancehall and soul, interspersing a few traditional Guinean rhythms, with great control over his voice.

He interacts with his audience, getting them to sing along to his biggest hits. “Today is a special day, it’s my first time in Canada, my first time at Balattou, a venue steeped in history, but also, my album Victoire, Chapitre 1 is out today,” he says, the first song of which is dedicated to his late mother.

At times, it felt like we could hear the kora through the guitar, especially during the solos, and at other times the bass sounded like a guitar. I later learned that the guitarist was Senegalese. The song Djere Lele, released in 2023, seemed to be particularly popular with my neighbor on the right. In fact, he was the one who told me the name of the song. The whole room sang along, and we enjoyed other similar moments throughout the evening. This Guinean superstar has several hits to his credit.
Even though the new album Victoire was released on Friday, July 19, some people already knew the lyrics that same evening. That says a lot about the star’s status.

His duality, sometimes soul and sometimes dancehall/ragga, allows him to navigate between these two worlds, but the place given to the traditional could be better exploited. He chose the second half of the evening to invite his wife and singer Manamba Kanté on stage for a few songs. She will perform on the main stage on July 20, but gave the audience a preview of her husband, who was equally delighted to see her. Her deep voice, worthy of the griot she is, descended from a family of griots on both sides, enchanted us and complemented her husband’s voice.

Another highlight was the kompa section of the concert. As with Blaiz Fayah, the crowd greatly appreciated this nod to a style of music that has been steadily gaining popularity since the Joé Dwet Filé effect.

Would a collaboration between Soul Bang’s and a Haitian artist be a good move in your opinion? Something to consider.

Photo Credit: André Rival