Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Kassemady Diabaté (Mali) |
Musiques d'Afrique Musiques du Mali |
Kassemady Diabaté is a descendant of a great
family of malinke griots, musicians by birth. Born in Kela, a village with
a strong griot history, he received a traditional education as a griot.
At a young age, he joined the Super Mandé of Kangaba,
a small town South West from the capital Bamako, and relatively close to the
Guinean border. This is the core region of the Malinké. In 1972, he joined Orchestre National Badema, a national orchestra. Several band members came from les Maravillas du Mali, a band formed by Malian students in Cuba, and the Afro-cuban influences were omnipresent. National Badema, however, tried to use Malian musical elements, drawn from Malinke, Bambara and Songhai cultures. |
Towards the end of the 1980s, Kassemady was
invited to Paris to record a high-tech album
with Boncana Maïga, a producer and arranger who also helped Salif Keita
break through on international markets with Salif Keita's Soro album.
A second, acoustic, album follows shortly after. He stayed in Paris for 10 years but returned to Mali
disappointed, after having been exploited by producers. His gentle character was too much a barrier to
come up for his rights as an artist. When he came back to Bamako, the music scene was much more alive. Toumani Diabaté soon asked him to work with him on his Kulanjan album. Kassemady's latest album Kassi Kasse is recorded in his village Kela, together with his brother Lafia Diabaté and his band Super Mandé (named after the old band in Kangaba). Kassemady is gifted with an extraordinary voice, volatile but always fully under control. |
Musicians on Kassi Kasse: Kasse Mady Diabaté vocals Lafia Diabaté vocals, dunun Fanta Mady Kouyaté guitar Demba Kouyaté guitar Koma Wulen Diabaté n'goni fitini "Petit" Kassemady Kamissoko n'goni ba Awa Diabaté backing vocals Moriba Diabaté backing vocals Diakaridia Diawara Djembé Lasana Diabaté balafon |
Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
Manden Djeli Kan | 2008 | Universal | |
Kassi Kasse | 2002 | Discos Corasón | Also released on EMI Hemisphere 543713-2 (1/2003) and on Narada 80775 |
Koulandjan Kela | 1990? | Syllart 38782-2 | Also released as "Kela Tradition" on Stern's STCD 1034 |
Fodé | 1989 | Syllart | Also released on Stern's STCD 1025 |
Albums of National Badema: | |||
Original | 1999 | Sono CDS 7071 | CD reissue |
Nama | 1983 | Syllart 38767-1 | LP, initially released on Mali Kunkan / Ivoire Polydisc IP 8300 |
Tira Makan | 198? | Syllart 38748-1 | LP, initially released 1977 on Mali Kunkan (ref.KO 77.07.07) |
More info on the Mali Kunkan label: Graeme Counsel's Radio Africa ([link])
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