Experimentation in early electronic music in the Sahara from the singular Mamman Sani. Dreamy organs and droning melodies reinterpret ancient folk tradition into sublime fantastical soundscape. Never before released recordings from the very beginning – unreleased tracks from his first album, recordings of a short lived trio, and a cover of an American folk ballad.
Playing for over 30 years, Mamman Sani is a legendary name in the Republic of Niger. A pioneer of West African electronic music, Mamman Sani crafts dreamlike solo instrumental pieces that are modern, but evoke ancient pastoral hymns of the Sahel. Drawing on rich diversity of Nigerien folk music, Mamman re-envisions traditional song and dance with the instrumental…
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…keyboard – from nomadic Wodaabe polyphonic singing to the loping camel trot of Tuareg percussion. Mamman creates soundscapes that pay homage to the Sahel, filtered through an electronic minimalism.
Mamman first discovered the keyboard in 1974. Employed by UNESCO and traveling frequently abroad, he was captivated by the sound and purchased one from a visiting delegate. Returning to Niger, he taught himself to play and began to experiment in composition.
His first and only album was recorded for the National Radio in 1978. The cassette features Mamman playing his repertoire on his Italian Orla. Reissued on vinyl in 2013 by Sahel Sounds and Mississippi Records, the album that has been celebrated by critics, earning him comparisons to artists like Terry Riley and Kraftwerk.
Mamman Sani is recognized today in Niger as one of the first modern musicians to experiment with electronic sounds. His instrumental pieces still fill the airways during televised intermissions and radio segue-ways, and he continues to perform regularly in the capital, Niamey.
1. Samari Da Yan Matan (4:53)
2. Zaybanakoy (5:29)
3. Arman Doley (7:16)
4. Bodo (6:17)
5. Gosi (6:02)
6. Five Hundred Miles (5:53)