Vagabon Tribe

Vagabon TribeGet the Vagabon Tribe Android App in the Android Marketvagabontribe_gmail.com"Black & White"

Acoustic-electric 12-string

The tribe in Nouakchott

seidou cd cover

beginnings

electric cigar box guitar

Lamine

djoba peace

seidou and toure

rusty

Nouakchott

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seidou

rusty

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Home About VT The MusicAfro-Amerikana BluesBlending the unique sounds of a west African 12-string harp, the American 4-string cigar box guitar, west African percussion, with vocals in English, Poular, Spanish, and Finnish, Vagabon Tribe plays an original style they like to call Afro-Amerikana Blues. Drawing on influences from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Blues and Americana music, Seidou Sow, Rusty Eklund, Papis Kone, and a selection of international musicians bring to life a modern fusion of musical styles and instruments.The TribeFrom Black Diamond to BamakoA Tribe is BornFrom the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, in 1996, Rusty Eklund set out through the mountain west of the US and met Malian djembe master Abdoul Doumbia, at the Drum Brothers West African drumming camp in Missoula, Montana. He was immediately drawn to the djembe and Malian music and began a journey that would take him to lower Mali, upper Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania for more than a decade to experience the culture and music of West Africa.His travels have taken him from his beginning studies with Michael Harrison, Karamba Diabte, and Youssouf Koumbassa, on to Mali with Sega Sidibe, Mahamadou Traore, Malick Drame, Bazou Sissoko, Madou Diarra, Kinini Diarra, and many other village and urban masters, to dozens of traditional celebrations, performances with Toumani Diabate and Nahawa Doumbia, two tours along the central east coast of the US with kora and guitar virtuoso Jeli Lamine Soumano, and finally to Mauritania and Senegal. In October, 2009, Eklund began working with Mauritanian singer Djoba Gueye. Their work together eventually provided the foundation for the Vagabon Tribe debut CD. Eklund then enlisted the masterful guitar and mandolin work of his old friend Lamine Soumano to complete the album. A March, 2010 concert at the French Cultural Center in Nouakchott brought their music from the studio to the stage and put a new sound on the Mauritanian scene. The second album of the Tribe, in true Vagabon fashion, is a new style with Seidou Sow in front of the ensemble. Papis Kone runs the range from traditional west African styles, to western folk and rock as well, on the guitar and the addition of Penda Woury on back-up vocals brings a distinct texture to the music. An April, 2011 concert is the backdrop for the international release of their first two albums.Their Volume Three album "Black & White" is a blending of 12-string electric harp, 4-string electric cigar box guitar, and African percussion. Ironically, Eklund, an American, plays a modernized version of the traditional Malian kamel n'goni made in France, while Kone, a Mauritanian, plays a modernized version of the traditional American cigar box guitar made in Canada.In 2012 the Tribe puts forth two more projects in Suomi Finland and the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.
Black & White Vagabon Tribe Black & White (Vol 3) Coming SoonA big THANK YOU to all the fans who have been following the Tribe throughout the process of making three albums in 18 months. Take a listen to songs from our upcoming album, "Black & White". Includes 19 tracks with a nice bluesy mixture of Vagabon Tribe's unique style of Afro-Amerikana Blues
No Frame

VT Africa

Vagabon Tribe

Africa

Djoba Gueye and Vagabon TribeVagabon Tribe's debut release with Mauritanian singer/songwriter Djoba GueyeThis album presents a unique blending of styles from across West Africa: rhythmically, melodically, playing style, instrumentation, and even the musicians. Djoba Gueye offers up 8 beautiful, original songs in Wolof, displaying her extraordinary vocal talent. Lamine Soumano provides the true Malian groove on guitar with a hint of Americana on his mandolin. Rusty Eklund demonstrates his versatility on kamel n'goni, playing with both kamel n'goni and kora technique on his 12-string Malian harp. This is Djoba Gueye's debut release, as well as the first for Vagabon Tribe.Djoba Gueye - VocalsLamine Soumano - Guitar, mandolin, bass, percussionRusty Eklund - Kamel n'goni, percussionwith Papis Diarra, Andra Kouyate, Seidou Sow, Papa Diop, Sidi Sy, Jeje Cheick AlyLyrics - Djoba Gueye, Compositions - Rusty Eklund, Lamine Soumano, Djoba GueyeArrangements - Lamine Soumano, Rusty Eklund Produced by Rusty EklundRecorded at RIM Production, Nouakchott, Mauritania and Studio Mali, Bamako, Mali.Photos: John Shadid, Nedwa, Mauritania* Khaleh (Children) - An original composition by Djoba about the beauty of children. Includes Djoba on guitar, Rusty on percussion, and Lamine Soumano on mandolin and guitar. Degaloma (Listen to Me) - A beautiful duet with Djoba and Seidou Sow. The song states: "Listen to Me, be careful of that woman. Listen to me, be careful of that man." A counsel between two friends cautioning each other to be careful in relationships. Not a bad warning, but a friendly counsel.* Guibendo (Crying for Grandma) - A wonderful blending of West African ideas from 6 different ethnic groups in Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania: a funky original composition by Rusty, working with rhythmic concepts from the Maraka people of Mali, a beautiful song in Wolof and Poular by Djoba about how she cries for her grandmother, and Jeje Cheikh Aly on the Maur Tidinit (4-string spike lute).Momma's Gone, Daddy's Blind - Djoba offers her counsel that all children, even if they aren't your own, should be treated as if they are. Lamine provides a sweet Mande-style arrangement on guitar. Wassalou - An adaptation of a traditional Wassalou line put into an acoustic funk with a smooth, bluesy song in Wolof by Djoba. Andra Kouyate adds the Malian jeli n'goni with Lamine Soumano on guitar. M'Beguel (Love) - This beautiful love song in Wolof by Djoba is an original song about love, presented over a traditional Malian piece of music, Bani Eh Buriyallah - The one piece that Rusty and Djoba created in the moment one day in rehearsal, stylizing it in Wolof. Lamine Soumano offers up a sweet arrangement. Cheyenne - A dedication by Djoba and Rusty to his daughter Cheyenne. With Lamine Soumano on guitar and mandolin.
Seidou Sow and Vagabon TribeVagabon Tribe's second release, with Poular Vocalist Seidou Sow, from MauritaniaVagabon Tribe's second album is fronted by Mauritanian singer, Seidou Sow. Originally from Rosso, on the banks of the Senegal River, Seidou's singing is heavily influenced by his Poular ancestral pentatonic roots , as well as the integration of Senegalese music. Rusty Eklund offers up nine original compositions for the kamel n'goni, and Papis Kone provides spectacular guitar lines. With Ousmane Toure on bass, Penda Woury on accompanying vocals, and Cheikhou Ba on drums and percussion.* Duna (Life) Poular proverbs mirror eastern philosophy here: life is made up of a mixture of fortune and misfortune. Be kind to people, don't laugh at someone who is poor, don't insult someone who is rich. These are only temporary ways of being. Adapted for the kamel n'goni by Rusty from a traditional djembe rhythm reserved to honor the blacksmiths, Numufoly.* Amerikana Mali - Midio Ma (A Dream)Your dreams can take you places that you can't go yourself. Intended as a friendly counsel, the meaning might be best described as a combination of "be careful what you ask for" and "dreams don't put food on the table". Rusty took the musical idea for this piece from a Bambara rhythm (Komo Foly), and mixed in the sweet Americana sound of the banjo from Cutch Tuttle of Houndog Hill.Yewehdeh (Nostalgia)otoo yaa guido mii yewee ndeediaddaa guido gonmee yeweedee-"Don't leave, because when you're gone I miss you." The Poular proverb that Seidou uses for this song relates "passing the night in a calabash full of water (a large gourd bowl - as if one were a small fly in a large tub of water with no way out) " to having to endure the hardship of loneliness when you miss someone you love. Rusty offered up this melody to Seidou as he was inspired by a Bambara rhythym and song about the Poular in Markala, Mali.Heyee Heyee, Medi Yirima - Hey, I love youHeyee, Madi Jama - Hey, I honor you Seidou uses a Poular proverb to explain how the misfortunes, the insults, the discouraging aspects of life aren't necessarily rooted in the nature of the receiver, rather are an indication that the source of the misfortune is "where it lives". The person dealing out the misfortune reveals their true nature, and the receiver is simply the conduit for said peron, group, etc.to reveal themselves.Women (Rewbebee) garee jimenbee, jimenbee - Come and sing, singgaree kalenbee , kalenbee - We're gonna talk about her, talkgaree mantenbee - We're gonna thank herdjaramaa rewbebee - Thank you, women Seidou let's everyone know that it is important to thank the women in our lives, that they are an important part of family, business, education, every aspect of life. The musical structure for this piece was inspired by Rusty's work with Djoba Gueye. Toroda (Ask)"It's better to just ask me than to take what I have." Meant both literally and figuratively, Seidou explains that when you take things that aren't yours it hurts others. Rusty ventures into kora technique on the kamel n'goni for this piece. Toh - (Here, or There)A Poular warning similar to the concept of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". Don't think that everything is better somewhere else, one should at least do something there, where they are at the moment. Nedi (Education) It is important to educate your children because politeness is the door to success in life. Adapted for the kamel n'goni by Rusty from a traditional Bambara bonkolo rhtyhm and song reserved solely for the slave class, Jonfoly N'Dod Haadi (Everything has its End)Seidou and Djoba Gueye team up on this original piece. Te music is built around rhythmic concepts from the cliff-dwelling Dogon people of Mali. Seidou sings about how life can be difficult no matter one's position. Everything is fleeting - wealth, poverty, sickness, health. Make the most of what you have. Wayno Mii (Remember to Say Goodbye)It is important to say goodbye to friends and family when leaving, otherwise they will worry in our absence. Rusty using kora technique on his first composition after arriving in Mauritania.
VT Finland

VT in Finland: The Suomi Project

Out of the fryin pan, into the...snow.The tribe finds a new place to settle for a spell and puts together a new mix of musicians with Alejandro Diaz Ortiz (Puerto Rico) on English and Spanish Vocals and Bass, Jussi Hamalainen (Finland) on Guitar, Hemu (Finland) on drums, and of course Rusty on 12-string harp.Eklund's compositions still have the Vagabon Tribe groove, but this new sound is full of new life with the fiery guitar work of Hamalainen and the smooth vocals of Diaz.Drawing on the folklore of the Finnish Epic The Kalevala, the Tribe's music integrates aspects of the rich Suomi traditions as well.
No Frame

Carolina Sessions

The Carolina Sessions

Wilson Creek Stroll.mp3

This project integrates musicians from western North Carolina into the unique style of music fans have come to expect from the tribe. With the 12-string west African harp of Eklund and the European harp of Michael Willis providing the backbone of the compositions, local musicians on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin provide that local Blue Ridge flavor.You can hear a sample of their upcoming work right here. Just click on the player button.

Wilson Creek Stroll

Be sure to pause the main player before listening to this audio sample.

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Vagabon Tribe CDs

More Music from In the Bush Records

Djoba Gueye and VT

In the Bush Records (2010)

re-release date: April 15, 2011

These two CDs Are ONLY Available in West Africa

Seidou Sow and VT

In the Bush Records (2011)

Release date: April 15, 2011

Black & White

In the Bush Records (2011)

Release date coming soon

Video

Ngoni 12-String Harp (Kamel N'Goni)The Kamel N'goni is a traditional lute-harp from the Wassalou region that straddles the political boundary between Mali and Guinea, West Africa. It is a popularized version of a hunter's harp called the doson n'goni. Each harp is typically played as a 6-string pentatonic instrument, but many now play on 8, 10, or even 12 strings. Vagabon tribe plays with both a traditonally constructed kamel n'goni as well as a modernizedelectric harp, modeled after the traditional Malian form.Numerous luthiers around the world have taken up the task of modernizing the construction materials and methods while preserving playability and sound. Check out Kora Kaelig

CBG Cigar Box GuitarThis traditional American instrument is anintegral part of the banjo and blues lineages.In the 1800's many people could not afford to buy a guitar, so an ingenious method they developed was touse old cigar boxes to construct the body of a 3 or 4string instrument known as the cigar box guitar. Thisstyle of construction is related to the lineage of the banjo and was the instrument that gave the Americanbluesmen their distinctive sound. Later, when the six-string Spanish guitar was adopted as the standard many musicians abandoned their 3 or 4-string roots.The cbg has regained popularity over the past couple decades with modernized construction methods andmaterials in a renaissance of Americana traditions.

Thanks to our friends at

daddy-mojo.com

Percussion African Drums and PercussionA variety of drums and percussion instruments known the world over, most notably, the west African djembe, played by the Maninka, Bambara, and Maraka people of Mali, as well as other ethnic groups in the region.Vagabon Tribe uses instruments like the 1/2 gourdcalabash drum, the djembe, dununba (mallet drum with a bell), n'tama (talking drum), sabar (Senegalese hand and stick drum) and karignan (metal scraper) to develop their unique sound.

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The unique sounds of the Malian 12-string harp (kamel n'goni) and the American cigar box guitar, with a mixture of Malian, Senegalese, Mauritanian, and Americana highlights, Vagabon Tribe plays an original style they like to call "Afro-Amerikana Blues"

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"We (Mauritania) had not yet heard a sound as full as they (VT) offer..." Babacar N'Diaye, CRIDEM

All photos, audio, and video are the property of Vagabon Tribe. copyright 2011, All rights reserved