The first release in the Cumbancha Discovery series from the acclaimed Cumbancha label, Kimi Djabaté’s new album Karam introduces the world to a stunning young African music talent. Hailing from the West African country of Guinea-Bissau, Djabaté’s intimate and moving songs herald the arrival of a powerful new voice in international music. Karam will be released in the US & Canada on July 28th, 2009 and in the rest of the world later in the summer and fall.

A griot by birth, Djabaté has been playing the balafón, the African xylophone, since he was just three years old, and mastered many other traditional instruments over time. Djabaté was raised in the village of Tabato, an artistic enclave that has been recognized for centuries as an epicenter for African music, dance and other creative arts. In 1994, when he was just nineteen, Djabaté toured Europe as a member of the national music and dance ensemble of Guinea-Bissau, and he decided to settle in Lisbon, Portugal. In Europe, Djabaté has collaborated with many exceptional musicians, including Mory Kanté, Waldemar Bastos, Netos de Gumbé and others.

The central theme of Karam, Kimi’s second solo album, is Africa: it’s social and political realities; the suffering of African people; the fight against poverty; freedom; women’s rights; and love. An expression of his griot roots, Karam pays tribute to the people, soul and spirit of Africa that is at the heart of his music.

The Cumbancha Discovery series is an innovative approach to artist development designed to give up-and-coming talents, like Djabaté, access to Cumbancha’s worldwide physical and digital distribution network, marketing/promotion experience and respected brand, while enabling Cumbancha to work with artists that it might otherwise be unable to sign to traditional recording contracts.

The Cumbancha Discovery model provides a way of releasing excellent projects from artists who don’t yet have an infrastructure in place to support their talent. “It’s a bit like a chicken and an egg scenario for many musicians,” Cumbancha President Jacob Edgar points out “They can’t get a booking agent or manager unless they have a record out and have started building a fan base.” He hopes this new approach will be a way to kick start an artist’s career.

“I received dozens of demos every week from all over the world,” Edgar points out, “and one day an early version of Karam arrived in the mail with no name, cover letter or contact information. I dropped the mysterious demo in my CD player and instantly fell in love with Kimi’s beautiful melodies, striking compositions and masterful musicianship. Luckily, he emailed me a few days later, so I was able to tell him in person how much I liked his music and to ask if he would be the first Cumbancha Discovery artist. I’m confident that others who hear this album will experience the same joy of discovery that I felt when I heard Kimi’s music for the first time.”

US/Canada Release Date: July 28, 2009

For more information, review copies, song lyrics & descriptions, interviews,
photographs, tour dates and other support materials, etc. please contact:
Simeon Chapin @ Cumbancha Tel: +1 (802) 425-2118 * Fax: +1 (866) 340-0054
Email: simeon@cumbancha.com  * Web: www.cumbancha.com
Press Kit: http://www.cumbancha.com/albums/kimidjabate/press