KANANAYÉ - Achille Nacoulma, Abdoulaye Traore, Kanazoe, Boubacar Djiga, Clotilde Rullaud Nacoulma

In the streets of Burkina Faso, the phrase “ka nana ye” echoes constantly. It means “it’s not easy” but carries the hopeful undertone that “it’ll be alright.” With Kananayé, an album inspired by this popular philosophy, things are bound to look up. Rooted in multiculturalism, conscious lyrics, intertwined traditions, and a contemporary edge, the project embodies qualities essential in today’s world, where optimism has become a survival skill.

The Burkinabè project sprouted in Bobo-Dioulasso in 2019 during the Badara Festival, which champions mutual enrichment between local and international artists. As late-night jam sessions extended deep into the night—against the backdrop of sizzling "poulet bicyclette" and chilled Brakina beers—a musical chemistry emerged. It was the kind of magic unique to artistic sparks of love at first sight. How else could one explain the seamless fusion of these top-tier talents, many already established on the global stage?

Initially formed by Clotilde Rullaud Nacoulma (vocals, flute – named among JazzMag x JazzNews Top 3 Voices of 2022/2023), Abdoulaye Traore (guitar – Fatoumata Diawara, Debademba), and Achille Nacoulma (drums, percussion, vocals), the group expanded to a quintet with the addition of Seydou “Kanazoe” Diabaté (balafon – Mamadou Diabate, Kanazoé Orkestra) and Boubacar Djiga (kunde – Irène Tassembedo, Kunde Blues). These virtuoso instrumentalists, equally gifted as melodists and rhythm masters, are steeped in the griot traditions of West Africa, while Rullaud brings a rich background in jazz and improvisation.

From concerts to residencies, from Bobo-Dioulasso to Paris, the group shaped the repertoire of their debut album, Kananayé. The songs, written in French, Dioula, Mooré, and English, were recorded across continents—at Dada Studios in Brussels by Peter Soldan and Studio Hanou in Bobo-Dioulasso by Kaskade—then mixed and mastered in New York. The album features seven original compositions alongside a reimagining of the American folk standard Sea Lion Woman, famously interpreted by Nina Simone. Whether ballad or trance, each track is refined, luminous, and deeply rooted while firmly projected into the contemporary music scene. It weaves together diverse traditions, blending age-old rural practices with the trends of modern urban metropolises.
Vibrant, poignant, festive, and always radiant, the album exudes the joy its members feel playing together. But the group is also deeply committed to a cause: celebrating the beauty of cultural fusion and advocating for the freedom of artists worldwide to travel, meet, and create. At a time when nationalist policies are restricting visas, Kananayé stands as a militant call for artistic liberty.

Indeed, “ka nana ye” – it’s not easy, but it will be alright.