Track Listing

1. Mouso Teke Soma Ye
2. Diarabi (with Ali Farka Toure)
3. Mariama Kaba (with Ballake Sissoko
4. Sa Golo (with Rokia Traore)
5. Improvisation I
6. Je Chanterai Pour Toi (with Madieye Niang)
7. Le Monde Est Fait Pour Ou'on S'aime (with Madieye Niang)
8. Samba
9. Adieu Pierrette
10. Kalilou
11. Duna Ma Yelema (with Ali Farka Troure)
12. Macire
13. Soundiata
14. Improvisation 2 (with Ali Farka Toure)
15. Mali Twist
16. Kayes Ba

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98117 in Music
• Released on: 2004-09-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Original language: French
• Dimensions: .12 pounds
• Running time: 76 minutes

fRoots, March 2003
Malian Boubacar Traoré, otherwise known as Kar Kar, had early experience of pop stardom in the 60s with Kar Kar Madison and Mali Twist. Feted as the African Elvis, his fortunes seemed sure, but fall turned out to be as swift as rise. After his father's death he returned home to Kayes to support the family, working the land and selling clothes. When his wife died in childbirth he moved to Paris, and worked as a casual labourer. It wasn't until 1990, aged 48, that Sterns put out the brilliant Mariama album, and he resumed his career (though the sleeve notes of that album referred to him as "now retired"). His songs, just guitar and vocals, struck a powerful chord: a highly personal and refined variant of Malian blues--in fact, a derivative of traditional kassonké music and American blues.

Reminiscent of Skip James, he blended a soft vocal roughness with nimble and generally minimal finger-picked guitar, that suddenly erupted into virtuoso outbursts of complex runs and scales. Absolutely the real thing: anything but glossy and always powerfully emotional. Since then there have been several albums all consistently excellent and varying little in style. But this one is slightly different--the soundtrack to a film by Jacques Sarasin: a journey across Mali with Kar Kar, meeting and playing with such musicians as Ali Farka Touré, kora player Ballaké Cissokho and balafonist Kélétigui Diabaté.

Most of the music is recorded live and unadorned, though one track is a studio job with Rokia Traoré and group. Throughout it's spellbinding. Kar Kar playing and singing with more ease and élan than ever, a man at the peak of his form. And, so baldly and frankly recorded, we are as close to the music and its maker as any listener could wish. --Rick Sanders

© fRoots Magazine. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

traveling blues of the old east
due to it's nature as the soundtrack to a film about the life and music of the great Mali bluesmand Boucacar Traore and also the music of Mali itself this album has a wonderful half joined feel, most of the songs on it are recorded live and often include sounds from the documentary which run into one another making the listener feel more like he is journying through the music, not just sitting still and listening to an album.

the music itself is of a very high quality, mixing the blues and more traditional mali music perfectly to form something which to the western ear is wonderfully relaxing, somewhat like those relaxation tapes of sea sounds, but with high quality music instead. Nor is it all the same artist, for whilst Traore features on all tracks he plays a number of duets, including three with Ali Farka Toure (who's album 'talking timbuctoo' with Ry Cooder i would also very much recommend). Their are also two songs from Traore's earlier carreor in the sixties where he was portrayed as independant malis answer to rock and roll.

This album is also wonderfully packaged with very good liner notes in both english and french telling you about each of the songs and about the man himself. There are many photos which help further the image of the music the album puts together as well.

I highly recomend this CD for anybody who is looking for a relaxing alternternative to just about anything modern life has to offer.

West Africa at its best
I've had 'The Best of . .' and 'Macire' for a while, and love them, particularly 'Macire'. I hesitated for ages to buy this thinking that, being a film soundtrack, it wouldn't match the others.
But it's wonderful, and is now my favourite.
If you appreciate the music of Boubacar Traore at all, you will love this.
Dreamy and contemplative - West Africa at its best.