Mamar Kassey Live

Led by charismatic frontman Yacouba Moumouni, the eight members of Mamar Kassey have quickly become the most significant cultural and musical ambassadors of the Republic of Niger, West Africa.

Though Mamar Kassey's music is not "typical" of Niger, it has become by far the most popular sound ever to emerge from this remote, desert country.

Their music is defined by Niger's placement at the crossroads of Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa: the raw, delicate plucking of the three-string komsa has roots in the Gnawa music of Morocco, and powerful female vocals echo Mali's Wassoulou sound.

Breathy, dry Fulani flute riffs mix with the galloping beat of the calabash, heard throughout music from the desert, and a rolling, lilting lead guitar more commonly associated with Nigerian pop dances around it all. The foundation is a funky bass guitar backline.

— Courtesy Calabash Music