Biography
Cameroon-born, France-based guitarist and vocalist Roland Tchakounté fuses American blues with African traditions while delivering lyrics in the Bamileke language. Early exposure to R&B shaped his approach through the work of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Marvin Gaye, yet a decisive shift occurred once he encountered the blues and boogie style of the late John Lee Hooker. That encounter prompted him to merge the two strands of blues; in a 1999 interview he recalled, "I immediately brought together American blues and the African blues -- these two musics had the same source. I, thus, had discovered my way." Additional touchstones for Tchakounté include the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, Bruce Springsteen, and Van Morrison. Prior to concentrating on guitar he immersed himself in African percussion, then spent time playing bass and singing in assorted local groups before inaugurating his solo career during the mid-'90s. The self-produced debut album Afro Blues appeared in 1999, after which he toured with a group comprising French guitarist Jean-Pierre Vimont, bassist Thierry Mothier, keyboards player Christian Rousset, and drummer Jean Luc Deshayes.