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| Roland Tchakounté (C) and his band |
Roland Tchakounté learned drum, guitar, piano and harmonica before starting his career as a singer for local bands. He was addicted to the music of African American singers such as James Brown, Wilson Picket, and Jimi Hendricks. He says John Lee Hooker was his biggest inspiration to play the blues. He plays a combination of Blues and a local Cameroon style of music with lyrics in his mother tongue Bamiléké. In 1999, Roland Tchakounté released his debut album titled Bred Bouh Shuga Blues.
In 2005, together with guitarist Mick Ravassat, he released the second album called Abango and made tours to the U.S., Canada, and Belgium. In 2006, he met the drummer Mathias Bernheim and they made the band with three members.
In 2008, Tchakounté came to Hanoi and performed as the Roland Tchakounté Trio. Waka released this year was the next album. The highpoint of his career so far was playing songs from it at the New Morning club in Paris.
His latest album Blues Menessen that was released in May bares his soul with questions about life and human nature. Roland Tchakounté’s music is full of wild melodies, sadness and happiness, sometimes loneliness.
The tickets are available at the theater for VND100,000 and at VND50,000 for students. He will play on October 14 at the invitation of the Center for Culture in cooperation with France.
