Passionate about West African music, Romain Malagnoux, author, composer, singer and guitarist, undertook a 4-month trip to Mali in 2009 in order to discover the musical culture of this country and meet musicians with whom to exchange. Evolving until then in Afro-American influenced styles (soul, folk, pop and English rock), Romain forges friendly and artistic links with the djeli n’goni player Moustafa Kouyaté with whom, during a second stay in Mali, he composes, records and produces the album “Les frontières imaginaires”, (winner in 2014 of a Canadian Folk Music Award and an Independent Music Award – USA) in the company of Malian and Quebec musicians. You can hear “La ligne bleue”, an extract from this album on the Putumayo Compilation “World Cafe 2021”.
Founding member of the group “La Pirogue” (Award for Diversity in Music from the Montreal Arts Council and Silver Syli 2019), Romain is focusing in 2020 on his first musical loves and is currently preparing an album made of soul, folk and pop style compositions.
Accompanied by Sergio Barrenechea (percussion, vocals) and Lasso (peule flute, kora, percussion), Romain takes the listener on a journey of changing emotions: melancholy, sweet joy, evasive tenderness, passionate love, explosive joy… The variety and energy of the songs are reminiscent of many cultures that Romain has been exposed to for many years.
Close your eyes and let yourself be transported!