Lembi - Adama Barry
Adama Barry is a one of a kind musician. His vocals and mastery of various instruments fill his listeners with warm and joyful music, brimming over with the kind of immediacy of life when living is prioritized. Adama grew up in Burkina Faso and belongs to the Fulani people, one of Africa's largest ethnic groups, spread from Mali to Sudan all across the Sahara Belt. Known for its rich blend of impulses and special rhythms, Fulani music has influenced music cultures across the African continent. True to his roots, Adama carries his heritage through his music with a notable sensitivity to rhythm and melody.
Adama makes his own traditional Fulani string-instruments Djurken and Hoddu as well as flute-instruments such as Duliara. His compositions organically integrate flutes from Mexican and Chinese traditions and the Norwegian Mouth Harp, making his music is both authentic and playful. Adama performs his music with a rare blend of casual modesty and richness, regularly switching between instruments during songs. His songs rich despite their sparse arrangements, filled with a kind of philosophical density. On stage, Adama never fails to transfer his energy and enthusiasm for music his audience, who invariably join in clapping, singing refrains and dancing to the music.
The album Lembi features a set of songs composed by Adama, performed by him and Solo Diarra (Djembe, Ballaphone) as well as a remade set. The remakes re-contextualize the originals, using a variety of approaches, tone and texture, from glitchy oddball disco to jazzy shuffles to minimalist dark beats to cosmic techno maximalism. With contributions from outstanding musicians and remixers such as Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, Henrik Schwarz, Sex Judas & Ricky Rerub, Bendik Baksaas and Bugge Wesseltoft, the album is a burst of creativity and pleasure.