The Voice of Kenedougou: Neba Solo and Senufo Sensibility in Malian Music

In The Voice of Kenedougou, Ingrid Monson draws on 20 years of ethnographic collaboration with Neba Solo and a vast collection of audio and video examples to immerse readers in the artist's musical and cultural world. The Voice of Kenedougou invites readers into the world of Neba Solo (né Souleymane Traoré), a singer, bala virtuoso, and one of Mali's most renowned musicians. Born in the Kenedougou region of southeastern Mali, Solo has long been celebrated for his modernization of traditional Senufo music, as reflected in his sophisticated musical arrangements, introduction of professionalized choreography, and development of the bass bala. In The Voice of Kenedougou, Ingrid Monson draws on 20 years of ethnographic collaboration to highlight the many ways in which Solo's work has evolved within the context of Mali's tumultuous contemporary geopolitics. Using a vast collection of audio and video examples, she illuminates the Senufo sensibility from which Solo's compositions emerge, linking the music to broader cultural and historical movements such as recent coup d'états, the development of Mali Kura (New Mali), and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States, a regional Pan-African confederation formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Distinct from a traditional biography, The Voice of Kenedougou is a journey into Solo's prolific musical achievements set against the stark backdrop of Mali's contemporary political and social challenges.