in concert

Festival au Désert Preview

May 17, h 21:30
Stazione Leopolda – Florence

Boubacar Traoré – vocal and guitar
Vincent Bucher – harmonica
Babah Koné – calebasse

Boubacar Traoré, also known as “Kar Kar”, is the most influential pioneers of Malian modern music. Self-taught musician, he began to compose at an early age, influenced by American blues and kassonké, a traditional music style from the northwest region of Mali (Kayes).
Boubacar Traoré was the subject of the 2001 film Je chanterai pour toi. His story is also told in the book Mali Blues by Lieve Joris.
In the early 1960s, Mali won its independence and Malian people awoke each morning to the sound of Kar Kar’s melancholic voice on the radio which sang of independence. Every person in Mali from his generation remembers having danced to his hits “Kar Kar Madison” and “Mali Twist”
During his career Boubacar Troré has worked with the most important Malian musicians: from Toumani Diabaté to Keletigui Diabaté and Rokia Traoré, to the star Ali Farka Touré.

This concert is a unique opportunity to see live a true living legend of African music, presenting his new CD Mbalimaou (Lusafrica), with the outstanding support of Vincent Bucher (harmonica) and Babah Koné (calabasse).