Ben Zabo (born Arouna Moussa Coulibaly, January 24, 1979) is a Malian

Afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...

-musician from

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...

. He was born at Tominian in the

Ségou Region Ségou Region ( Bambara: ߛߋߓߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Segu Dineja) is an administrative region in Mali, situated in the centre of the country with an area of , around 5% of Mali. The region is bordered by Sikasso Region on the south, Tombouctou an ...

. He released his self-titled debut album on the international record company

Glitterhouse Records Glitterhouse Records is a German independent record label and mail order company based in Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in the mid-1980s. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s it was the European branch of the American la ...

in 2012.

History

Ben Zabo was born at Tominian in the Segou region, where he spent his childhood. Born into nobility, as a member of the Bwa

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

he came to music because of his passion but against the advice of his parents who wanted him to choose a career as a pharmacist. It was around the age of 14 he began studying music with Francois Koita, conductor of "Bwa Band" (the orchestra Tominian). This apprenticeship lasted until the end of his high school in 1999 in Sikasso. Arriving in Bamako for his graduate studies in pharmacology, he joined the group "Coumba" of Binke in 2000. He toured for two years and continued to develop his talent and his experience playing in several groups in Bamako. From 2006, with a view to a professional music career, Ben Zabo studied music at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers Multimédia Bamako for five years and graduated in advanced studies. Beyond his talents as a

guitar player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...

and singer, he specialized in the field of sound techniques, allowing him to be an assistant sound engineer at the studio Bogolan in Bamako (

Tamikrest Tamikrest (Tamashek for ''junction, alliance, the future'') is a group of musicians who belong to the Tuareg people. The band was founded in 2006 in Kidal, Mali. They mix traditional African music with Western rock and pop influences and sing in T ...

Ali Farka Touré Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its deriv ...

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

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) since 2007. It was in this studio that he met European label-owner, Peter Weber (Glitterhouse Records) who agreed to record and distribute Ben Zabo's album for the international market. Ben Zabos self-titled debut album was produced by

Chris Eckman The Walkabouts were an United States, American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington (U.S. state), Washington in 1984. The core members were vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. Although the rest of the line-up ch ...

( Dirtmusic,

The Walkabouts The Walkabouts were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984. The core members were vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. Although the rest of the line-up changed occasionally, for most of the time ...

)and released by

in 2012.

Discography

* 2012: ''Ben Zabo'' (

) * 2013: ''Mark Ernestus Meets Ben Zabo – Wari Wo / Dana Dubwise'' ( Glitterbeat Records)

Awards

* 2010: ''Band of the Year'' – Bamako

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20120520075648/http://thinkafricapress.com/mali/review-bo-culture-through-malian-afrobeat

http://www.worldmusic.co.uk/ben_zabo_ben_zabo_cd_review

External links

Ben Zabo Homepage

Glitterhouse Records Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabo, Ben 1979 births Living people People from Ségou Region Musicians from Bamako Glitterhouse Records artists 21st-century Malian people