| African Guitar Summit | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Years active | 2004-2017 |
| Labels | CBC Records |
| Members | Alpha Yaya Diallo Naby Camara Pa Joe Theo Yaw Boakye Kofi Ackah Adam Solomon Mighty Popo Donné Robert Madagascar Slim |
| Website | African Guitar Summit on myspace |
African Guitar Summit is a group of nine Canadian musicians, all of African origin, who perform traditional songs from their native countries.
History
The African Guitar Summit was organized in Toronto as part of a performance project for CBC Radio's On Stage program. Musicians were, from Guinea, guitarist Alpha Yaya Diallo and on balafon Naby Camara. From Ghana, guitarist Pa Joe, singer Theo Yaw Boakye, and drummer Kofi Ackah took part. Additional musicians were Adam Solomon from Kenya, Mighty Popo from Burundi/Rwanda, and from Madagascar guitarist and harmony singer Donné Robert and Madagascar Slim. The producer of African Guitar Summit was Todd Fraracci.
The nine musicians rehearsed and arranged for three days, sharing stories and experiences. On the fourth day the group debuted in a concert at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio. The following three days were spent in CBC Studio 211 recording their self-titled CD. Everything was recorded live off the floor, in one or two takes.
African Guitar Summit was released on CBC Records in November 2004, and went on to win the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year. The group performed an arrangement of Mwembo at the Juno Awards Gala in Winnipeg, April 2, 2005 and, in the same year, at the Live 8 concert in Barrie, near Toronto.
Their second album, African Guitar Summit II was released in 2006 and nominated as World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2007.
In 2016 and 2017, under the management of the Herschel Freeman Agency, the group toured the US.
Discography
- African Guitar Summit (Vol 1 CD) (November 2, 2004)
- African Guitar Summit (Vol 2 CD) (September 26, 2006)
References
- Amal Henein; Francoise Morissette (14 December 2009). Made in Canada Leadership: Wisdom from the Nation's Best and Brightest on the Art and Practice of Leadership. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 282–. ISBN 978-0-470-73954-9.
- ^ David Dacks, "Alpha Yaya Diallo". Exclaim!, June 27, 2010.
- "Selkirk College Instructor Builds on Rwanda Relationship". The Nelson Daily, by Bob Hall on 23 Mar 2017
- Banning Eyre, "African Guitarists Have Arrived at a New Style". NPR, March 13, 2007.
- Dawn P. Williams (2006). Who's who in Black Canada 2: Black Success and Black Excellence in Canada : a Contemporary Directory. Who's Who in Black Canada. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-0-9731384-2-9.
- Words & Music. Vol. 13, Issues 1-2. Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada. 2006. p. 4.
- "African Guitar Summit – African Guitar Summit II". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- "Herschel Freeman Agency".
External links
- African Guitar Summit on Myspace