Originally from Mali, Traor produces music that blends traditional and modern music, all the while incorporating influences from the different cultures she has experienced through her travels, according to a press release from the Hop. Traor has worked with several renowned musicians including rock musician Peter Gabriel, the Kronos Quartet and jazz singer Dianne Reeves, the press release said.
As the daughter of a Malian diplomat, Traor began her travels at a young age. Growing up, Traor lived in the United States, the Middle East and Europe, according to an article from Public Radio International.
While studying sociology in Brussels, Traor played in a rap band. The experience made her realize that music was what she truly wanted to pursue, and she returned to Mali at the age of 22 to become a professional musician, a vast knowledge of different cultures and types of music in tow, according to the release.
Traor did not want to make just any kind of music, but music with a unique blend that transcends all cultures, while still retaining deep roots in the musical traditions of her native Mali.
On her four albums and in her live performances, Traor plays blues guitar accompanied by a band playing African and western instruments, including bass, drums and n'goni, a West African string instrument resembling a banjo. In this evening's concert, Traor will be joined by Mamah Diabate on the n'goni, Naba Traor on back-up vocals, Christophe Minck on bass, Laurent Robin on drums and Eric Lohrer on guitar, the press release said.
The lyrical content of Traor's music is memorable and melodic, displaying her songwriting talents.
Her most recent album, "Tchamantch" (2009), is an eclectic mix of musical elements, from beat-boxing in the song "Zen" to a hypnotic guitar introduction in the first song, "Dounia," to a modernized version of Billie Holiday's "The Man I Love."
The lyric book that accompanies the CD provides English translations of Traor's lyrics that allow people the world over to sing along, even if they do not speak her native language of Bamanan. In the title song "Tchamantch," Traor sings in Bamanan as English-speaking listeners follow along, "We arrive in this world somewhere/Between the past and the future/And we evolve by wavering/Between more and less/Balance lies in relativity/That which is human cannot be absolute."
Traor's deep views on existence and evolution in "Tchamantch" try to explain human existence on Earth. The questions of the origin of humanity exist in nearly every culture just one example of Traor's ability to create music that any listener can relate to.
Traor's lyrics explain why she won Best World Album at last year's Victoires de la Musica (the French version of the Grammy Awards) and Best Artist at the 2009 Songlines Music Awards.
Along with tonight's concert, Traor will also host a free songwriting workshop in the Hopkins Center's faculty lounge at 4 p.m. In her workshop, Traor will discuss how she approaches the art of songwriting and explain how other musicians influenced her to pursue a career in music.
"The workshop will give students who are interested in songwriting the opportunity to listen to Traor discuss her craft, and ask her about possible tips and general questions about writing, poetry and music," said Rebecca Bailey, the publicity coordinator and interim outreach assistant at the Hop.
Traor is also the founder of Foundation Passerelle, a foundation aimed at helping other Malians to gain the practical experience needed for a career as a professional musician, the Hop press release said.
According to the Hop's web site, the concert is funded partly by the New England Foundation for the Arts' Expeditions program. The Expeditions program, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, strives to bring "high quality and innovative touring projects [to] New England" in order to "broaden the range of arts projects and activities available to New England communities" and to promote "meaningful interaction" between those communities and the artists who visit," according to the NEFA web site.
