Boubacar Traoré (born 1942 in Kayes, Mali) is a renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Traoré also goes by the nickname Kar Kar, (a footballing nickname in Bambara meaning “The Dribbler” given him by his friends). In 1968, when Moussa Traoré overthrew Malian president Modibo Keita, Boubacar Traoré, widely seen as an artist associated with the previous regime, disappeared from the airwaves. During the 1970s Traoré’s popularity faded, until a surprise television appearance in 1987. Soon after this “rediscovery,” Boubacar’s wife died during childbirth. Grief-stricken, he moved to France and did construction work to support his six children. While there, a British record producer discovered a tape of one of Traoré’s radio performances, and he was finally signed to a record deal. His first album, Mariama, was released in 1990. Since then, Traoré has enjoyed international popularity, touring Europe, Africa, and North America. Boubacar figures in the book Mali Blues (Lonely Planet, Australia), by Belgian writer Lieve Joris. The book inspired Swiss film director Jacques Sarasin for the 2001 film Je chanterai pour toi (“I’ll Sing For You”) about Boubacar, released on DVD in 2005.
About the film
The Story: in the sixties, the people of Mali awoke each morning to the sound of Boubacar “Kar Kar” Traoré’s voice on the radio, singing of independence. But Kar Kar, like his native country, fell on hard times. After being rediscovered in France, Kar Kar returns to his native Mali and tells his story in song. Featuring the music of Boubacar Traoré, Ali Farka Touré, archival footage and interviews with friends and acquaintances of Boubacar, I’ll Sing For You is “a lovely, lyrical tribute to Boubacar Traoré…a poignant, finally joyous experience.” (Film Society of Lincoln Center)
Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Jacques Sarasin
Mar 26, 2004 Wide
Feb 22, 2005
Cast: Boubacar Traore, Ali Farke Toure, Ballake Sissoko, Blaise Pascal, Boubar Traore, Demba-Kane Niang, Harouna Barry, Madieye Niang, Malik Sidibe and Mamadou Sangare.
An elder statesman of the Malian blues made famous by performers like the late Ali Farka Touré, Traoré is a natural. His songs and musicianship flow from an intimate, intuitive connection with his instrument, as well as with his beloved land.
As a young teenager, he would sneak into the room of his older brother—a music teacher who studied for eight years in Cuba—and play his Italian guitar. The guitar was off limits, but Traoré couldn’t help himself: He had to play. When his brother finally caught him in the act, he was amazed to hear Boubacar playing riffs taken from Mandingo music for the kora (West African traditional harp).
“When my brother found where I was hiding, he asked me, ‘Who taught you that?’” Traoré recalls. “I said, ‘No one.’ And he replied that if that was how I was starting, I was going to be world famous one day.”
Traoré continues to draw on deep roots unselfconsciously, using the legendary stories of Mali’s past, like the conversation between the king and his child retold in “Kankan Baro.” He pays tribute to Mali’s great leaders, stretching back to the great empires of the 12th century, on “Mali Tschebou,” a personal update to a long tradition of praise singing.
Traoré’s star faded after his burst of pioneering success, as Mali suffered political turmoil. After returning to a quiet life, Traoré soon faced great difficulties himself: the death of his beloved wife and the harsh realities of a stint as a migrant laborer in France. But it was during this period abroad that sympathetic producers encountered the middle-aged Traoré and brought his music into the international limelight.
Though he spends as much time as possible on his farm with children and grandchildren, Traoré has calmly and confidently carved out a reputation for his straightforward sounding yet mischievously complex guitar work. “Justin Adams, Robert Plant’s guitarist who is a big admirer of African music, told me that when he first heard Boubacar, he imagined his songs would be easy to play, but he couldn’t get the groove.”
“For Boubacar, it’s not about being a virtuoso. He may only play a few notes, but they are all important,” reflects album producer and friend Christian Mousset. “Like Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson, he has a style all his own. He wasn’t taught by anyone, and doesn’t sound like anyone else in Mali. It’s always been a mystery to me, where Boubacar’s sound came from,” Mousset, Traore’s album producer and friend, recounts. “Bill Frisell also used to perform Boubacar songs, and thought his style of composition was unique. The songs seem naïve, or light, but are actually very difficult to play.”
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The legendary Malian blues guitarist and singer Boubacar “Kar Kar” Traoré at The Bell House (NY)
Kar Kar speaks about his recent new CD
