Pierre Akendengué

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Pierre Akendengué

Pierre-Claver Akendengué (born April 25, 1943 in Awuta , Gabon ) is a singer and musician from Gabon.

biography

Pierre Akendengué was born on Awuta, an island off the coastal town of Port-Gentil . As a child he made his first compositions and was already heard on the radio as a teenager. After leaving school, he left Gabon, went to France and pursued a degree in psychology at the University of Caen . During this time he suffered a severe eye problem that led to his blindness. In a talent show on French radio, the Le Petit Conservatoire de la chanson , his talent was discovered and promoted by the singer Mireille Hartuch .

Through his first recordings he came into contact with Pierre Barouh , with whom he founded the Saravah label in 1966 and produced his first long-playing record Nandipo in 1974 . This album consisted exclusively of original compositions by Akendengué, which he performed in French and in Nkomi , accompanied by the driving rhythms of the percussionist Naná Vasconcelos . Long before world music was widely recognized as a label, Akendengué developed an unmistakable and sophisticated sound from different musical styles. The Wire's "100 Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening)" lists Akendengué's debut at the top.

The versatility and willingness to experiment of the early albums should become his trademark. After returning to Gabon, he practiced historical singing techniques such as solfeggio or cantus planus . Together with the composer Hughes de Courson he released the album Lambarena in 1993 , which combines the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with traditional West African sounds.

Discography

  • 1974 Nandipo
  • 1976 Africa Obota
  • 1978 Eseringuila
  • 1979 Owende
  • 1980 Mengo
  • 1982 Awana W'Africa
  • 1983 Mando
  • 1984 Réveil de l'Afrique
  • 1986 pirogue
  • 1986 Sarraouinia
  • 1988 Espoir à Soweto
  • 1990 Silence
  • 1993 Pierre Akendengué & Hughes de Courson Lambarena
  • 1995 Maladadite
  • 1996 Carrefour Rio
  • 2000 Obakadences
  • 2004 Ekunda-Sah
  • 2005 Gorée
  • 2009 Verité d'Afrique
  • 2013 Destinée
  • 2018 La couleur de l'Afrique

Individual evidence

  1. ^ "Pierre Akendengué" , RFI Music.
  2. ^ Frank Eisenhuth, Pierre Akendengué
  3. ^ Blessing for Paris
  4. ↑ a b Maximilan Schäffer, This music is universal, independent, simply great ( laut.de )
  5. ↑ a b Review: Lambarena at Allmusic (English)
  6. ^ Review: Vérité d'Afrique

literature

  • Juste Joris Tindy-Poaty: Pierre Claver Akendengué ou l'épreuve du miroir. Harmattan, Paris [u. a.] 2008.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Akendengué, Pierre
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Akendengué, Pierre-Claver
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gabonese singer and musician
DATE OF BIRTH April 25, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Awuta , Gabon