Rokia Traoré (#1 CMJ New World), Praised by The Telegraph, Performs for French TV

Rokia Traoré, whose album Né So hit the #1 spot on CMJ’s New World chart last week, recently performed two songs from the album on France’s Le Grand Journal television show. Nonesuch’s website has embeds of the two songs, “Ilé” and “Obiké,” which the Malian singer-songwriter performed with a colorful, energetic, and excitingly groovy band. Watch them here.

The Telegraph gave Né So a splendid review, writing that the album shows that Traoré is “ready to escape the world music ghetto.” The album’s sound, according to the review, “is subdued, moody, even dark at times, the instrumentation stripped back to bare essentials… Yet, if this isn’t a sound guaranteed to have them rocking in the aisles…, it’s one that reflects the gravity of Traoré’s experience” as a resident of a country torn apart by civil war. Read the review here!

CMJ New World reporters: Help keep Rokia Traoré at #1 for back-to-back weeks!

Listen to track #10 “Né So” below: