Volta power

There have been a number of releases of music from Burkina Faso in the last year or so. You may remember my anticipation at the release of "Ouaga Affair". I have to admit this anticipation turned into frustration after hearing the tragically strangled and muffled sound of this compilation.

Luckily the producers of the CD with the somewhat misleading title "Bambara Mystic Soul" learned from this mistake (at least I hope it was...) and released a far better sounding collection. Personally I was very happy with the highly improved versions of no less than six tracks by my hero Amadou Traoré dit Ballaké. But at the same time I think too many concessions were done to the funk fans, of which you may remember I am not a part.

Just before the end of last year Florent Mazzoleni, who I met in Bamako in October, sent me a copy of his book "Burkina Faso Musiques - Modernes Voltaïques". I have since had some time to actually read it, and I must say I loved it. Not only is it - as far as I know (and please correct me if I am wrong!) - the first book to be written about the modern music of Burkina Faso / Upper Volta, and as such of great value. But also it is a very readable and enjoyable book, with some absolutely fantastic photos. It is very hard to judge the factual information, but it appears to be at least very thorough. As such it clears up a lot of mysteries, for example about Amadou Ballaké's adventures in Guinée.

And if this is not enough, the book comes with a superb CD. Not one track by Amadou Ballaké, and still the best compilation of Voltaïque music to be released to date, if you ask me. I gather Florent shares my enthousiasm for the Volta Jazz song "Djougou Malola". I especially adore the killer track "Noglem Nooma" by the Harmonie Voltaïque. This is one of those ballad to completely melt away. Ay qué rico!

The appearance today of a new podcast (on the left) is no coincidence...

The single I would like to share with you in this post is also mentioned in Florent's book. I don't remember reading about the artist, but that is understandable given the quantity of talent in Upper Volta.

I particularly like the B-side. No doubt another song about the new constitution introduced in 1977 by president Lamizana and the "Renouveau" this implied, but brought with an almost disturbing pathos. By contrast the A-side seems casual, although the melody is catchy.

Nice music, but not of the standard of Florent's CD.

Club Voltaïque du Disque CVD 81

EDIT (February 22, 2012): It appears the book is not always sold with a CD. I did not know this. Florent Mazzoleni has informed me that the CD will be released separately, with a few tracks added, in the near future.
In the meantime I would advise to ask the seller if the CD is included when buying the book.
As to this being the first book on the modern music of Burkina Faso, I have been pointed out that there is in fact another, older, book available titled "Histoire de la Musique Moderne du Burkina Faso - Genèse, évolution et perspectives" by Auguste Ferdinand Kaboret and Oger Kabore (released by Edipap International, Burkina Faso / ISBN 2-914707-31-2). One to look out for.

EDIT:(October 30, 2012): The link has been removed by Mediafire:
"Dear MediaFire User:

MediaFire has received notification under the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") that your usage of a file is allegedly infringing on the file creator's copyright protection. The file named Traore Ablo et l'Orchestre du Peuple Melodie Volta (Disques CVD CVD 81, 1977).rar is identified by the key (i76rdv948romkru). As a result of this notice, pursuant to Section 512(c)(1)(C) of the DMCA, we have suspended access to the file.

The reason for suspension was:

    BDM user "lachandra" says: Hello, My Name is Hervé Lemaire , CEO of LeakID, I am legal representative of lemaire which does business under the name Metropolitan, Authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. You are hereby given notice valid under the DMCA copyright infringement notification requirements, 17 U.S.C.512. I am the designated agent of the owner of the copyrights of the images and audio/visual works listed below. I believe that the images and audio/visual works listed at the times cited below are being copied and distributed in a manner that has been not authorized by the owner of the copyrights, its agent or the law. All link below containing pirated versions of lemaire copyrighted works. The information in the notice is accurate, under penalty of perjury. Please remove all linksAs soon as possible, we will check them everyday. Thanks to inform us about y our actions. We appreciate your efforts toward this common goal. Very truly yours, Hervé Lemaire Leakid 15 bis rue de chateaudun 92250 La garenne colombes France 0033698211000 Contact lemaire Expendables "

It appears M. Lemaire has taken it upon himself to defend the rights of (even) Burkinabé artists, - or perhaps the whole world? See wikipedia and many other sites.

Birds

Ballaké at the Harlem Bar, 1994 (photo: Rob Lokin)

While searching on the net for a better copy of the sleeve of this album I stumbled upon many examples of disinformation about this star of Burkinabé music. Sometimes the fragments of disinformation get combined in copying. I read for example that he was a founding member of the Horoya Band de Ségou.
I don't claim to have the final truth when it comes to the biography of Amadou Traoré dit Ballaké, but given the testimony from Guinean artists gathered by Graeme Counsel it seems unlikely that he was a member of the Horoya Band (an orchestra originally from Kankan, Guinea), let alone of the/an orchestra from Ségou, Mali. The confusion may have arisen from the name of the orchestra he did join: the Bafing Jazz from Mamou, Guinea.

More biographic detail in my earlier post here.

I was reminded recently that this album has so far not been posted on any of the (fortunately numerous) blogs dedicated to African music. I have to admit I am not able to follow all the blogs, so I still may be wrong. But it seems such a great omission that I felt it my duty almost to step in, and share this classic album by one of my musical heroes.

The album is another, and perhaps even the best, example of Ballaké's street credibility. He follows the trend to add elements of funk, James Brown and afrobeat to his music, but still manages to remain authentically Burkinabé. What may appear as pure funk, is in fact based on existing (mainly Mossi) traditional rhythms. As for the lyrics, Ballaké is - as always - inspired by the ordinary man and woman in the street. The "bar konon mousso" (literally "bar bird woman") refers to the women serving in bars. Ballaké sings about the hardships they have to suffer and the 'excursions' they have to make to earn a few extra francs. Going by this article (unfortunately only in french) their situation - over 30 years later - remains unchanged.
I especially like the way in which Ballaké describes his own position in relation to these "birds". The bar kono mousso tells him: "Ballaké leave me alone. You don't have money. Musician, that's nobody*. You're a poor boy."

I'm sure the other songs on this album have similar - or perhaps even more notable - lyrical highlights.

Musically this is no less of a treasure trove. It may take a while for the penny to drop with some of these songs, but when it does I am sure the whole album will embed itself in your musical memory forever. The brilliantly manic "Nabacouboury", the head-over-heels "Dounignamou", the almost Guadeloupean "Balake Ya Mariama", they all have one thing in common: the powerful presence of the great Amadou Ballaké.

Sacodis LS 8-78 or here (MF)

Going through my archives, I discovered a copy of an older version of "Bar Konon Mousso". Despite the rather scratchy condition of this single, released on the Club Voltaïque du Disque label, I am inclined to prefer this version to the version on the Sacodis lp. The tempo seems more fitting to the theme of the song, and the ambience is more 'bar-like'. The lyrics appear to be exactly the same as the later version. The condition of the vinyl is more annoying on the A-side "Absetou", especially as this song has some (seemingly?) nice instrumental bits.

Club Voltaïque du Disque CVD 44 or here (MF)

*"c'est pas quelqu'un", where a "quelqu'un" is a 'somebody', and a "grand quelqu'un" is an important person.

Super Volta Jazz

When it comes to the music of Burkina Faso I am still very much in the process of discovering and learning. I was aware that infrastructurally Haute-Volta (Upper Volta) was a barren land, with no recording studios and no facilities for pressing records. Only in the 1980s, when Haute-Volta became Burkina Faso, a modest form of recording became possible. I was under the impression that this meant that most Voltaique bands went to Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire, to record, but I recently read that bands of the Club Voltaique Du Disque (CVD) label travelled to the city of Kumasi in Ghana, - which was probably closer than Abidjan and had the added attraction of a cheaper studio.

I had been lead to believe that orchestras in the Upper Volta of the 1960s and 1970s went without the benefits of a strong cultural (state) policy (as for example in Guinea and Mali) and that financial support of artists and/or bands by the state or public institutions was unheard of. But I recently learned that the Super Volta orchestra was actually founded with sponsorship from Maurice Yaméogo, the first president of Haute-Volta. Or actually I think it was the Typic Band. This band was founded in 1964 or 1965 by a certain Zinsi Ouédraogo, who in 1966 renamed it to Super Volta de la Capitale. Before getting overthrown in a military coup and resigning (on January 3, 1966) Yaméogo provided the Typic Band with the best equipment (his or the government's?) money could buy, thus giving them a rather unique position within Voltaique music, where most orchestras used the equipment provided by the patrons of the bars where they were allowed to play (for a 'competitive' fee). Subsequently Super Volta became the leading band of the CVD label.

I still hope to learn more about this CVD label. It seems to me that some rather smart people have been in charge of this label, judging not only by the great music they have produced, but also by the fact that they managed to survive at all as a label within Haute-Volta.
And talking about great music: the greatest of all the CVD artists was - in my opinion - Traoré Amadou better known as Amadou Ballaké. Florent Mazzoleni, who recently sent me some photos of Ballaké reposing 'chez lui', has sent me another single of this master, recorded for and by the CVD label (so probably in Kumasi, Ghana!). The vinyl quality is perhaps far from optimal, but to a fan (like me) any Ballaké is highly appreciated....

"El Hadji Fasano", on the A-side, opens like a praise song. Ballaké, singing in Dioula, appears to be greeting 'Baba' Fasano. But then in the second line the El Hadji (indicating that the man has done his duty as a muslim and has been on a pilgrimage to Mecca) is linked in one breath to a strong alcoholic beverage! What does it mean? Is the El Hadji a renowned militant in the struggle against alcohol abuse? Or a local producer of moonshine?
And is it me, or is Ballaké citing from Bembeya's "Djamana bara Sabati"? And is the start borrowed from "Loi Cadré"?
So much still to discover......

The B-side again calls up memories of Guinean classics, with hints of "Wara" by Nimba Jazz. There are some lovely bits by Mangue Kondé on lead guitar, and - of course - solid vocals by Ballaké.

Club Voltaique du Disque CVD 53

Volta Jazz, from Bobo-Dioulasso, was founded at around the same time as Super Volta by Idrissa Koné. I suspect that they may have been inspired by a visit of Franco's O.K. Jazz in 1963, or perhaps by Les Bantous, who also toured West Africa in the early 1960s. Although it is hard to find any information about this orchestra I have heard reports that they toured neighbouring countries in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s they appeared to fade away, but they mysteriously resurfaced in 1977 with a series of releases on the Disques France-Afrique label, two of which I would like to share with you in this post. They also managed (through this Abidjan-based french label?) to get some records released on Sonafric, and I may be tempted to post their lp on that label at a later date.

The first of the two singles contains two rather up-tempo tunes, with what resembles the Voltaique version of a Congolese rumba on the one side ("Tjee Gouana") and a rhythm which might be called a pachanga on the other ("Sankoura"). It seems hard to believe these tracks are from 1977; in all aspects the style seems more 1960s.

Disques France-Afrique LGVD 1.102

The same goes for the two songs on the other single. The rumba "N'Ti Toubabou Kanme" on the A-side appears to be about a conflict with the police. And before you assume that I have a more than very superficial knowledge of dioula or bambara: there is a bit of french in the song after 1'53 when the hero of this song is being addressed by a police officer. What the 'toubabou' (white person) has to do with it, I can only guess.
"Djougou Malola" is the odd one out of these four tracks, as it reminds me not of the music of the two Congo's, but of those wonderful ballads of the early Guinean bands like Orchestre de la Pailotte, Orchestre du Jardin de Guinée and Kebendo Jazz. A lovely well-dosed horn section, great guitar tottering about in the background, nicely proportioned solos: what a delight!! I could do with more of this......

Disques France-Afrique LGVD 1.110

The three singles can also be found here, bundled into one download.

P.S.: Graeme Counsel has added a discography of the CVD label to the (many) discographies on his site.

EDIT August 18, 2010: Scott Arnold was kind enough to put in some effort to clean up the Ballaké, making sure he didn't (unlike the very unfortunate Ouaga Affair CD) ruin the music. You can download the cleaned-up tracks here (sleeve etc. included). Muchas gracias, Scott!!

EDIT October 23, 2015: The front cover of LGVD 1.102 has been added.

Ballaké (re)visited

I always get a little depressed when I have to report that another one of my musical heroes has passed away. Maybe this has to do with the realisation of my own mortality, - who knows?

On the other hand it is very good to hear that others are still alive and well. As is the case with our musical hero from Burkina Faso: Amadou Ballaké. I received a mail from the very active french writer and 'voyageur' Florent Mazzoleni, who has recently visited Ballaké at his home and sent me these two photos of a very relaxed looking grand maître.

It seems a good idea to grab this opportunity to post two singles which have been posted earlier on the unrelentingly brilliant Orogod blog. In my humble opinion it appears to me that the copies I have of these singles are slightly better than Oro's.

Plus I would like to draw your attention to an anomaly with regard to the titles. On Sacodis SCD 68 the sleeve carries the title "Simbaraba", while the label on the record itself has a title "Apopllo".

A closer study of the song reveals that Ballaké's version bares a strong resemblance to the song "Apollo" by the Horoya Band (Syliphone SYL 535). About the origin of this song I have heard several explanations. Guinean Sekouba Bambino Diabaté claimed that this was a song by his mother, singer Mariama Samoura, when he creatively recycled it into his 'hit single' "Kassouma Ma". Others claim that this song was composed by the Horoya Band to commemorate the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Personally I suspect Horoya Band were the first to record the song, while it seems possible that Sekouba Bambino's mother was the first to sing it. So both may be true...

Likewise, the B-side of SCD 68, "Kelebila", is a song of which many - mostly traditional - versions exist, and perhaps even more than of "Apollo". I would like to especially mention the version by the legendary Sory Kandia Kouyaté, but I am sure I have heard it on several occasions in Mali (although I can't recall who was singing it...).

One of the great things about Ballaké is his diversity and his capacity to shine in any musical style. While SCD 68 contains Mandé (malinke, mandingo etc.) style songs, SCD 69 has two tracks in a very different, probably Mossi* style. The song "Warba" always conjures up images of people walking backwards, while "Liguiry" evokes the contrary: a feeling of running (too) fast down a hill....

I sincerely hope more Ballaké will surface in the future. I for one will be looking out for (and forward to) it!

Sacodis SCD 68
Sacodis SCD 69

* and please feel free to correct me if I am wrong!

EDIT August 9, 2015: The links have been renewed!

Balafon bwaba

This post is dedicated to another musical hero who is at risk of disappearing into the dark mist of time. Already you - like me - will find it hard to find any information about this maestro of the bwaba balafon* from Burkina Faso. The fact that his first name is more than likely incorrectly spelled on this cassette makes the challenge even greater. And his family name is not only common in circles of burkinabe music, but almost synonymous with the bwaba balafon.

Aladari Dembelé was, however, also something of a one-hit star. "Was", because unfortunately he is no longer with us; he died on Sunday, February 13, 2005, after a prolonged period of illness, which had kept him from performing for several years. Born in the Kossi province in the Boucle de Mouhoun region of Burkina Faso, Aladari seems to have lived a fairly anonymous life as a musician, until in 1988 he recorded and released this cassette titled "Sodassiya".

The song was sung in dioula, which meant it had a potential audience not just in Burkina Faso, but in the whole of West-Africa. It is a comical tale about a deserter (i.e. from military service). Unconfirmed sources claim that it is a true story and that the deserter (allegedly from the colonial forces) was in fact Aladari himself.
Those with some knowledge of the french language will perhaps be able to grasp (part of) the gist of the story, - especially when keeping in mind that many of the words referring to 'western inventions' and the military were borrowed from the french. And I wouldn't be surprised if "Voyassi", the title of the song on the B-side of the cassette, was actually "voyage"....
The interjecting of a few of these semi-french words usually acts a trigger to my (admittedly overactive) imagination, and tends to make me even more curious about the lyrics (and not just in west-african music).

Note, by the way, the exceptional quality of this cassette. My guess is that this is also due to the strikingly forceful sound of the bwaba balafon. And to illustrate this I am adding one video, borrowed from fababobo, and some links to other bawaba videos (which as it happens are from the same remarkable source).

cass FA 016/VL4



Other videos:
Tegneni Dembelé
Tegneni Dembelé (yes, again)
Sanfo Dembelé

* You may have noticed that the new podcast too is dedicated to this instrument. In fact, there will be more balafon this week. If you like, you can even call it bala week at the Worldservice!

The real Balaké

There is of course only one real Balaké, and that's Amadou Traoré dit Balaké.
To my surprise I have not seen a posting of perhaps his most 'appealing' album: "Amadou Balaké à New York" from 1979. And by "appealing" I mean to western audiences. This album has it all: a good variety of styles, covers of famous songs, a dose of humour, a splashing of dramatics.

It starts with a brilliant follow-up to Balaké's very succesful "Whisky Magnin". This time the topic is not drink but drugs. "Yamba" translates as "happiness", but in this case it is the nickname for "ndaay" (or "daaj") or marijuana. "I can't eat without yamba, I can no longer sleep without yamba, I can no longer work without yamba, I can't talk without yamba". Despite the wordplay with yamba/happiness the tone is more serious than in "Whisky Magnin". Balaké mocks and attacks the young and strong "capable of achieving things for the progress of Africa" for their dependency of the drug.

The second track, "They Loule", has some remarkable similarities with the track "4V" by Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux (posted here and here), which was also recorded in Abidjan, but a year earlier. My guess is that both songs have the same source.

The greatest mystery in the third track, "Ligida Ranba", is in the title (which may suggest that we are dealing with a version of the B-side of CVD 46). Marketing-wise I can't see the purpose of trying to hide that this is a version of the Cuban classic "El Manisero". But one can rely on Balaké to give even this ultimate example of world music his own authentic Balaké flavouring.

The B-side of the album opens with a dramatic 'slow' "Yele". Inimitably Balaké, shouting, almost roaring, with his ever-present sense for the anecdotal detail.

This is followed by a track in which I suppose you will have some problems recognising the Horoya Band's hit (from Discothèque 74 - SLP 48) "Sasilon". Nevertheless it is a - admittedly cleverly disguised - version, covered in a thick and creamy Balaké sauce (or maybe I should write "salsa").

The last track, "Awa Yiriga", seems to be a reference to songs of the (at that moment not too distant) past. Songs like the ones on the "Taximen" and "Super Bara Kono Mousso" albums of just a year before. Personally I find this my least favourite track, as the arrangment just does not seem to fit with the song.

Sacodis LS 22-79

As an extra special treat I have a track recorded in 1994 in Ouagadougou, of a performance of Amadou Balaké in the local Harlem Bar. It is only one song, and he had worked a lot that day and had - as he claims - "a handicapped voice", but still his singing in this song "Maderi" is fantastic. I am not sure what the joke of the announcer about Balaké spending twenty years in Mecca is about; for some reason, just by looking at him, I can't see Balaké as a devout muslim......
The recording and the wonderful photo were made by Rob Lokin.

Maderi (Harlem Bar, Jan.26, 1994)

EDIT: April 3, 2010: As Aduna (see comments) correctly points out, the titles of two tracks appear to have been switched. The version of "El Manisero" is called "Awa Yiriga", and the last track should be "Ligida Ranba" (and it still doesn't sound like "Ligida Remba" from CVD 46...).

El Grand Ballaké

"El Gran Ballake started in music in 1967 at the age of 18 with the renowned Jazz de Sissoko orchestra in Acart-ville (Upper Volta). After one year with this orchestra I subsequently changed, and started again with Echo d'El Africa* from Bobo-Dioulasso, and this was in 1968.

And already from that time people got an idea of my success in music, for all I did was following musicians around and reworking their songs. On the other hand my parents were against it at all times; and at the end of the day (?), they gave in, for they realised it was my destiny that guided me on. I loved music to such a point that I started doing research on my own, and often, it even happened that I disappeared into the brousse so I wouldn't be bothered by others from my profession. And at the time the orchestra which accompanied me consisted of some very intelligent and talented young people.

So with Echo d'El Africa I released 6 (45 rpms) and 1 (33 rpms) titled "Récite historique de Bobo-Dioulaso" and I remained always the number 1 animateur of this orchestra. At present the orchestra which is accompanying me on my latest lp is Super Saman.
I hope the public will listen to the latest lp a lot.

The international Diarra Youssouf El Grand Ballake, a.k.a. the Dragon of African song, accompanied by the Tout-Puissant Super Saman."

Call me a fool, but after such sleeve notes I can't wait to hear the music. And luckily Youssouf Diarra does not disappoint me. This is a very enjoyable lp in the Malinke style which we know from many Guinean and Malian orchestras. Super Saman misses a horn section, but manages to compensate for this by the freshness and enthusiasm of their guitar section. 'El Grand Ballaké' has nowhere near the vocal presence of Amadou Traoré dit Ballaké, but then, who has? It is really a pity that by the choice of his nickname he has pitted himself against an artist of another, higher league.

So forget about the Ballaké bit and listen to this great album, - which by the way is another great find by our friend Faas!

Shakara music SHA 004

*i.e. Echo del Africa National, an album which I hope to post very soon.

Dafra Star

For some time now I am slightly disturbed by the lack of interest by the western music 'industry'* in the music of Burkina Faso. And not just because of my hero Amadou Balaké, but certainly also because of deserving bands like the Dafra Star, who are the subject of this post.

The star of Dafra Star is singer Tidiani Coulibaly, who - I am told - was quite a celebrity in the Upper Volta of the 1970s. Coulibaly started Dafra Star in 1975 after having left the famous Volta Jazz orchestra.
A year later, in 1976, his new group won first prize in the national Festival of Modern Music, with the song which is featured on the A-side of this lp. The song, which on the album is simple called "Recital", is another example of a track in the "Regard Sur Le Passé" style 'invented' and/or made famous by Bembeya Jazz. The horn section and the whole sound of this track remind me strongly of Super Biton from Ségou, but this is not surprising: the songs were recorded at Radio Mali by Boubacar Traoré (who also recorded Biton, - and many many many others).

The link to Mali and Biton does not end there. The guitarist on the left of Tidiani Coulibaly (in the photo) is none other than Zoumana Diarra, who in the 1980s went on to play with Super Biton, Rail Band and Super Djata, and who also performed on that great cassette of Coumba Sidibé. Zou has been living in the Netherlands for the last twenty years.

Side two contains five great songs which others probably would describe as "influenced by Cuban music" or - worse still - "Afro funk". I prefer "authentically voltaique" - but certainly with bambara influences.

If you, like me, are interested in the music of Burkina Faso (or Upper Volta), I would like to draw your attention to a release on the Savannaphone label called "Ouaga Affair". I have yet to hear this collection, but it looks very promising.....

DS LP 01

*and I realise that we are dealing with a dwindling, if not moribund phenomenon...

Balaké à Paris

The first Amadou Balaké album I heard was "A Paris - Djala Songo". I can't say I went wild. On the contrary, it took me quite a while to get over it.

In those days there were still loads of traces of the golden era of African orchestras. There was an unbridled optimism of the treasures still waiting to be unveiled. And Paris (i.e. the Parisian producers and recording studios) was seen by some as the neo-colonialiser, the corruptor of authentic African culture.

I suppose there was an element of truth in this.
Paris did set a standard when it came to the use of modern electronics in African music, and in doing so initiated a process which led to the end of the large horn sections, and therefore to the end of the great African orchestras.

But over time my negative view of this album has mellowed. I have learnt to listen less to the irritating arrangements & instrumentation, and more to Balaké.
And Balaké?
He is as always brilliant, consistently himself. If you are able to look through the electronics and canned choruses it is still the same Balaké as when he recorded for Club Voltaïque de Disques, or when he sang about the evil money can cause in "Wariko" on "Afro-Charanga" and on "Baya".

Sacodis LS-86

Afro-Charanga

Amadou Balaké is, apart from a musical hero, an artist with more than average dose of authenticity. He can perform with any band and still be recognisable as Amadou Balaké. And not only that, but he can play the same song with another orchestra, and it will sound like a completely new song!

The proof of this is in this album from 1981. "Whisky et Coca-Cola" is a version of the track released on CVD 52, "Wariko" a reworking and re-arranging of a track on LS 7-78 (and was later reworked again on MGS 3120*) and "Voiture D'Occasion" ("second-hand car") is a cover of "Mobili Occasion" on CVD 59 and "Super Mobili Occasion" on CVD 008. But on "Afro-Charanga", accompanied by studio musicians from New York, these songs sound completely fresh and new, like they were composed just for this lp.

The other songs, "Zimbabwe" (introducing the 'new' Zimbabwe) and "Hayafam" (which I suppose is meant to be "Janfa ma", i.e. "I'm sorry"), are of the same unique Balaké quality.

In a time when hordes of people are running to the shops to buy Michel Jackson CD's, why can't this great classic lp by Amadou Balaké be the summer hit of 2009?

Zamidou Prod. 1582

* The relation with the track of the same name on CVD 008, however, seems unclear...

Porcupine

As promised another post about Amadou Balaké.
First I would like to refer you to a biography by Joachim Vokouma on LeFaso.net. It is in French, so here is a partial translation:

His adventure as professional musician starts off in 1962, in Mali. He's enlisted into the orchestra of the Grand Hotel, that plays every night in the Moulin Rouge, a night club in Bamako.

In 1963 he leaves the Malian capital and finishes up in Abidjan, where he plays, with Italians, at the Tropicana, in the Ivoire hotel. The collabaration lasts a mere six months and our adventurer decides to leave for Guinea. Thanks to the good care of a (lady) friend who is a member of the bureau politique of the PDG (Parti Démocratique de Guinée), the single party at the time, he is appointed chef d'orchestre of the Horoya Band from Kankan.

Very soon, the relations between this 'married lady' and her protégé take on a nature which hardly pleases the latter. In the end he decides to pack his bags, and sets off, first to Conakry, and subsequently to Mamou where, in charge of the Bafing Jazz, he participates in artistic competitions. He is invited regularly to perform at the meetings organized by the president Sékou Touré in the interior of the country.

In the first years after independence, the relationship of the Guinean leader Sékou Touré with some of his African counterparts is very low, in particular with the presidents Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Ivory Coast, Maurice Yaméogo of Upper Volta (the present Burkina Faso) and Léopold Sédar Senghor of Senegal. Amadou Traoré will be a victim of this hate between the socialist camp and that of the pro-western (leaders).

Denouncing his great closeness to the former colonial power, Sékou Touré refers to the Ivorian president as a lackey of French imperialism, hostile to African unity. In defense of Houphouët-Boigny, the president of Upper-Volta replies and calls Sékou Touré a representative of communism, the real enemy of the Africans. On the airwaves of the national radio he attacks Sékou Touré in terms of a coarse nature unworthy of a head of state. "Who is this Sékou, also known as Touré, who longs so much that we talk about him? An arrogant man, a liar, jealous, envious, brutal, hypocrite, ungrateful, intellectually dishonest... You're nothing but a bastard amongst the bastards that populate the world. That's what you are, Sékou, a bastard of bastards."

On this the entourage of Sékou Touré turnes to Amadou Traoré and asks him to compose a song in response to the president of Upper-Volta who, in the eyes of Sékou Touré is nothing but a "travelling salesman for the division Africa and an errant boy of Houphouët-Boigny". Which he refuses. "How can I return home (to my country) if I insult my president", he justifies himself. Seeing the clouds appear on the horizon, Amadou Traoré asks and is granted a meeting with the Guinean number one and expresses his wish to go back to see his mother. Much to his surprise, Sékou Touré doesn't object, even offers him travellers cheques, as the Guinean franc was not convertible.

Back in his country he joins the Harmonique Voltaique where he has played before leaving his country and which is now directed by Maurice Simporé. The song he composes, "Balaké", which signifies "porcupine" in mandingue (Malinké), is a hit, mediawise and commercial in several African countries. Ever since, he is called "Balaké".

This sudden succes was however going cause him trouble. According to Amadou Balaké, Maurice Simporé "chased me out of the group arguing that the Harmonique Voltaïque isn't a mandingue orchestra. A false pretext, because in fact he was jealous of my popularity", he believes.

With his experience as a worker in Civil Engineering, Amadou Balaké is recruited by ITS, a German company that in 1969 has taken on the asphalting of the road from Ouagadougou to Pô. As a result of an accident at work Amadou Balaké breaks his right leg and he feels more or less condemned to make a succes of his musical career. In 1970, he forms a group called "Les 5 Consuls de Balaké" that brighten up the evenings at the Don Camillo, then located not far from cinema Rialé.

In 1971 he records an lp "Mdolla Yacouba" ("my lover Yacouba") with Adama Ouédraogo, boss of the Club Voltaïque de Disques. Next he is recruited by a young Nigerian producer residing in Abidjan, Aboudou Lassissi, whose financial proposals were not uninteresting. With him, Amadou Balaké records (in Ibadan) "Taximan n'est pas gentil", which was very well received by press and public.

Unfortunately the biography speeds up immensely in 1971, because the encounter with Lassissi is, if I am not mistaken, at least five or six years later.

I would like to focus in this post on some recordings made between 1971 and 1976 at the Club Voltaïque de Disques of Adama Ouédraogo.

Disques CVD 46:
This record contains a song dedicated to the memory of Aboubacar 'Demba' Camara (the legendary singer of Bembeya Jazz who was killed in a car crash on April 5, 1973), with several quotes from Demba's songs. The B-side is not a version of the track on Amadou Balaké à New York (LS 22-79), but a track in the 'funky' style of "Super Bar Konon Moussou" and others, composed by a certain Abdoulaye Derme.

Disques CVD 48:
Balaké accompanied by the Volta Jazz orchestra in a track that reminds me more of Malian orchestras (apart from the Demba-like exlamations), and with what sounds like a typical Balaké story. The track is covered on the cassette I posted earlier. The track "Johnny" on the B-side appears to deal with a similar subject of 'tough guys'.

Disques CVD 52:
On the A-side the brilliant original of the song he covered in 1981 on the Afro-Charanga lp. Even the guitarist seems inebriated. And on the B-side a song in Balaké thanks his woman for cleaning his clothes and preparing his meals (with a revealing line: "Ma femme ne sort pas la nuit, elle est toujours pour moi" - "my wife doesn't go out at night, she is always mine").

Disques CVD 59:

Another original version, but this time of the Africando hit "Betece" (or should I say "Motécé"?). Great track. The B-side was covered several times as "Voiture D'Occasion" (Zamidou Prod. 1582, 1981) and "Super Mobili Occasion" (on the CVD 008 lp).

Disques CVD 66:
Balaké is not mentioned on the sleeve, but does sing the lead on both tracks. I think it's safe to assume Mangue Kondé is the guitarist...

Disques CVD 83:
On the A-side all the ingredients of tracks like "Taximen" are present, albeit with a more pronounced horn section. The B-side is a familiar sounding (but I can't recall where I heard it before) version of the Malinké track.

A special christmassy thanks to Faas T. for these great 45s.

PS: you can hear parts of another of these CVD records here.

EDIT (Jan.4, 2009): Lamine Camara, the present chef d'orchestre of the Horoya Band, is quite definite about Amadou Balaké never being a member of the orchestra, let alone chef d'orchestre, reports Graeme Counsel (I asked him to check this).

More Balaké

This is just an intermediate post. I will be posting some more 'historic' singles from the Burkinabe master in the near future.

It doesn't mean that I don't find this relatively recent (late 1990s) cassette by Amadou Balaké very interesting. What's most interesting is the fact that Balake remains 100% himself in these recordings despite the modern (and in my opinion inferior) instrumentation. It proves the timelessness of his talent.

The cassette contains versions of the classic Balaké tracks "Wariko" ("wari magnin" - money is bad, - and the root of all evil, even in Burkina Faso...), previously on Sacodis LS 7-78 and Zamidou Prod. 1582, and of "Kambeleba", previously recorded with the Super Volta orchestra.

Even if the cover is dreadful, I don't care: it's still Balaké!

MGS 3120

Eclectico

Ever since I heard about the title of the Amadou Balaké* compilation on Oriki Music (which I have heard since my last post about Balaké and can highly recommend), I have been wondering about the relevance of this title. I mean, is Amadou Balaké "Señor Eclectico"?

If you're interested in reading about eclecticism, here is an interesting entry in the wikipedia.
I prefer to think of Amadou Balaké as an artist who has succeeded in staying close to his public. He has a high level of 'street cred', if you like. This is reflected in his songs. They are about normal people in normal situations.

Like in the song "N'Kanan Djanfa" on this third volume from 1979 on the Sacodis label, where Balaké is a woman addressing the musician Balaké to tell him she has found someone better. Or on "Soum Grouba" where Balaké is a woman who finds herself forced to prostitute herself and has to argue about the price.

What can I say? Eclectic or authentic, just go and buy the Oriki CD!


*Amadou seems to have lost an "l" over the years.....

Super Volta

In a large part of West-Africa Amadou 'Ballaké' Traoré has been a star for ages. It is unfortunate that it is through Ibrahima Sylla's Africando that he is finally getting known (a bit) outside of Africa. I mean, his career started in the 1960s....

I really like his work, and all of it - the early tracks, Sacodis albums and even the Africando tracks. He is one of the few musicians that in my opinion deserves the ridiculously high prices which online shops have the nerve to ask.
I saw that Oriki Music has released a promising looking collection. I haven't heard this yet.


But here are two singles of Amadou Ballaké from his period with the Super Volta orchestra. This man is simply great!

CVD63 CVD64