Donso

Malian tradition meets Parisian futurism
"I had no interest in making house music with African voices over it. That's already been done to death. It had to work on its own terms." When French electronic musician Pierre-Antoine Grison told The Quietus website about his project Donso, he was spot on. No need for banging, four-to-the-floor beats. For Donso are a more reflective bunch, their amalgam of ancient Malian ways and contemporary hardware a natural fit, making the marriage of the sinewy ngoni harp-lute and subtle, unobtrusive electronic pulses anything but forced. The blend is smooth, the seam invisible. And if the wiry, lilting notes of the band's twin ngonis fail to convince you, the distinctive honey tones of singer Gedeon Papa Diarra will surely work their magic. Donso come thoroughly recommended by anyone who's ever turned an appreciative ear in the direction of Malian 'techno-traditionalist' Issa Bagayogo. More of the future sound of Africa.

(Biography written by Nige Tassel 2011)