ABDOULAYE TRAORE of the Malian village Mountougoula recalls an early childhood of listening intently to his father’s hunter harp. Abdoulaye quickly learned to scrape the accompanying nègè, sing backing parts, and dance the blurred, rapid-fire footwork of Wasulu hunters. In 2008 he completed apprenticeship with his master, the legendary YORO SIDIBE. A young lion of this funky old-time groove, Abdoulaye aspires to become a hunters’ musician of the highest caliber—one who lives in accordance with the longstanding way of hunting, inciting hunters to provide wild game, quelling strife where it crosses his path, moralizing listeners from all walks of life, and satisfying performance goers with exceptional music and dance. This CD is a re-release of the first of his seven commercial cassettes. (STREET DATE - 6/29/2010)