From Construction Site to Stage,

The Modest Life of Boubacar Traoré

Boubacar Traoré is one of the most remarkable African Blues Musicians of Mali. He is
also known as ‘Kar Kar’, a nickname which He got from playing soccer when He was young.
Born in Kayes in 1942, He became an Idol for the whole West Coast of Africa in the 1960’s.
After Mali gained his independence from France in the early 1960’s, Traoré was the
voice of the country. Everyone in the country would wake up to his voice on the radio listening
to his song ‘Mali Twist’. In 1968, Military Coup took place in Mali and Traoré could not make
money from his music anymore. So He had to quit music and returned to his hometown, Kayes
from Bamako. He made his living by working as a tailor, a shopkeeper, a farmer and an
agricultural agent. He kept playing music occasionally but it became insignificant in his life as
He was busy being responsible for his family.
His life completely changed when his wife Pierrette died bringing their last child into
the world in 1987. He was devastated. With most of his children grown, He started playing
gigs again. Then, He was rediscovered in Mali. But He was in deep sorrow after his wife’s death
and He said, “ I didn’t want to be there anymore.” Therefore, He moved the Paris, France.
His grief brought him to Paris where he worked as a building worker for two years with
other Malian migrant workers sharing a rough and ready boarding house. He sent money
home for his children who lived with releatives at that time. In his interviews He only said that
He was a building worker for two years but one of his songs says the truth: “You can be a king
at home, but when you are a migrant, you are a nobody.”
He had his guitar but He rarely touched it until an English producer discovered him in
Paris. He took Traoré to England and in 1990 and He recorded his first album, Mariama. This
was going to change his life once again.
Two years later, He returned to Mali, settling in Bamako once again. He started playing
regularly. Long after his disappearance, He was thought to be dead. Everyone was astonished
after his comeback. And He was more active than ever after he returned to Mali. He wrote
songs in which he used the pentatonic scale of his native region, Kayes, giving his material a
feel that recalls Blues. A combination of Blues roots and Mandingo Music.
His music is not in the typical blues form like the blues in Southern America. It is also
not funky like soul music. His music sounds completely different. The term ‘Blues’ would be
more realistic in his music if We take it as a statement of a feeling but not as a form of music.
His album, Mariama gained an international success and therefore Traoré returned to
Europe in 1992. He recorded his second album, Kar Kar. He began dividing his time between
Bamako, where He slowly built his own house and Europe, where He toured frequently. He
recorded several albums in the 90’s: "Sécheresse" (Drought) in 1992; "Les enfants de
Pierrette" (Pierrette’s Children) in 1995, "Sa Golo" in 1996, "Maciré" in 1999, music from the
documentary film directed by Jacques Sarasin: "Je chanterai pour toi" (I’ll Sing for You) in 2002,
and "Kongo Magni" in 2005. His fourth album, Maciré. An album that is named after Traoré’s
brother. Its songs received fuller arrangements “In the early autumn of 2000, Traoré
undertook an extensive and well received U.S tour in support of Macire.”
Traoré worked with the same musical cast who had performed with him all over the
world for years. His old friend Madieye Niang on gourd, Vincent Bucher on harmonica.
He says “ The guitar has a magic attraction for me.” When He talks about his
instrument.
When his international tours end, Traoré returns to his house in Bamako which He built
on his own. There He raises sheep and works a vegetable plot. “ In Mali, everyone is a farmer.
It’s the most reliable way of making a living.” Says the contented, modest musician.

Bilge Ozdemir
References
https://www.boubacartraore.com/biography

https://web.archive.org/web/20051018040631/http://www.globalvillageidiot.net/boubacar.htm

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/boubacar-traor%C3%A9-mn0000093128/biography

http://concertedefforts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BOUB_BIO_2016.pdf