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Language:

Bambara

Genre:

Kassonké African blues

Instrument:

Male vocals Guitar

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Biografi

Boubacar Traoré was born in Mali in 1942. His nickname, Kar Kar was given to him by his fellow soccer players, reflecting his tendency to dribble the ball too much.
Traoré is a self taught musician. He began to compose music at an early age, influenced by American blues and kassonké, a traditional music style from the Kayes region of Mali. Traoré's older brother spent eight years in Cuba studying music and, once he returned to Mali, he taught his brother the guitar.
In the early 1960s, Mali won its independence. Traoré was a local star, popular on the radio for his dance hits and songs of independance like "Kar Kar Madison", "Mali Twist" and "Kayes Ba" in which he encouraged his fellow citizens to return and build the country.
Despite his success, Kar Kar earned a living as a tailor, shop keeper and agricultural agent. During the evenings he trained orchestras and sung for his friends. After a twenty-year absence from the stage, in 1987, Boubacar Traoré was invited to perform for Malian TV and many people couldn't believe their eyes.
Soon after, life took a tragic turn when Boubacar's wife, Pierrette, died. Dazed and heartbroken, Traoré left Mali to work in France. "In Mali, in 1987, I'd been rediscovered. But I didn't want to be there any more," he recalled.
In Paris he worked in construction, sending money home for his children. It was there his luck finally changed. The British record company Stern's Africa discovered him and produced two CDs. This led to European and North American tours. He returned to Bamako. "Things happen in their own time," he reflected. "This must be my time, the time of Kar Kar."
With two CDs released on the Label Bleu/Indigo label, "Maciré" and "Sa Golo", Boubacar embarked a tour in the U.S.. The bluesman from Mali is becoming an international name for his own songs and his interpretations of traditional tunes. Traoré's bluesy music reflects the history of a country, the hopes and the despairs of a people. Faithful to his roots, for the recording of his album "Sa Golo," he sought out Baba Dramé, a childhood friend, in his hometown of Kayes, to accompany him on the calabash.

Relevant artists:
Ali Farka Touré
Habib Koité
Afel Bocoum
Rokia Traoré
Issa Bagayogo
Ramata Diakite
Tinariwen

MARIAMA
Stern's Africa/1990

KAR KAR
Stern's Africa/1992

LES ENFANTS DE PIERETTE
Revue Noire/1995

SA GOLO
Label Bleu/Indigo/1996

MACIRÉ
Label Bleu/Indigo/1999

SECHERESSE
Syllart/1999

JE CHANTERAI POUR TOI  
Marabi/2003

"Je chanterai pour toi" (I’ll Sing For You) – the original soundtrack of Jacques Sarasin’s film - takes us on a journey through Mali with Boubacar Traoré as our guide. Boubacar’s songs, like pages from his diary, reveal the story of his life. Poignantly singing songs about sadness and passion, Kar Kar clearly knows heartbreaking blues and the songs that keep it at bay. From Kayes to Bandiagara, from Bamako to Niafunke, where he meets Ali Farka Touré, we follow him like a friend, listening to the sounds of life. At the age of 20, “Kar Kar blouson noir,” the rocker, embodies new independent Mali. His songs are gifts to the nation and he’s overjoyed when he marries his beloved Pierrette. In 1968, after Modibo Keďta has been overthrown, Kar Kar, who sang his praises on the radio, disappears from the airwaves. He spends almost twenty years away from music. In 1987, it is a television show that becomes the starting point of his musical comeback and in 1989, Sterns releases his first international CD. But the blues return and he disappears from the spotlight once more after his beloved Pierrette dies after giving birth. With his recent comeback record for Indigo, Boubacar proves that both his spirit and his music are unstoppable. A beautiful and earthy album.

BEST OF  
Wrasse Records/2003

The Bluesman from Mali is out with his "Best of" album. Boubacar Traoré has a long and partly scattered production behind him. Recordings of several of his big hits from as far back as the 60'ies, like for instance "Mali Twist" and "Maou Leye Mara" have been included on compilations that were never issued or have been diificult to trace, so this initiative from Wrasse Records is very welcome. Indeed it is a pleasure to see that the man who has the best overview over this sometimes difficult career, namely Boubacar Traoré himself, has been responsible for the compilation of the songs.
The collection is opened by the blueslike "Bebe Bo Nadero" from the album "Macire". Boubacar Traoré is backed on several songs by members of Habib Koité's band Bamada, which fits Boubacar's music perfectly; it has the samme tribal Kassonké background as Koité's. The two also play guitar in the same kora inspirered manner.
Boubacar Traoré sings and plays his quiet and modest blues with authority. It is now more and more a general accepted fact that this West African music is the forerunner of the American blues and the latter's most important inspiration.
A track from Rokia Traoré's album "Wanita" is also included here and creates a nice variation with the two Traorés in a fine cooperation. My favorite on this CD is the before mentioned "Maou Leye Mara", one of the forgotten recordings, with Boubacar Traoré in a wonderful duet on elguitar with someone who sounds suspisciuosly like Ali Farka Touré. (The coveret doesn't say who it is.) The song doesn't stand back for anything within this genre.
This is simply a rarely succesful collection. Boubacar Traoré sings softly, but with a mature empressement in a fine variation with his accoustic guitar accompanied by balafon, calabass percussion, violin or sometimes elguitar. These are songs from a life lived. Boubacar Traoré sings his way right into my soul.

KONGO MAGNI
Lusafrica/2005

MALI DENHOU  
Lusafrica/2011

Boubacar Traoré is back with a new blues album. In European terms, that is. Boubacar is just playing his version of the Mande music from his region in Mali. Like on his last "Kongo Magni", he is backed by a group of musicians on balafon, ngoni, harmonica and percussion. This creates a fine variation to Kar Kar's guitar and adds an earthy African sound. The musicians this time are the same as the ones he has been touring with the last years, Mahamedou Kamissoko and Fassery Diabates from Ballake Sissiko's band, and not to forget Vincent Bucher on harmonica. He has toured with a row of bluesmen through the years, among them Louisiana Red and Magic Slim.
The music of Boubacar Traore may seem monotonous to begin with, but after a couple of playings it starts to drift in as a rhythm and a feeling in your body - and you want more. Laidback and thoughtful. Boubacar Traore knows what he is doing.

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