Mory Kanté

by Jason Ankeny
Acclaimed for both his preservation and modernization of the musical traditions of West Africas Mandinka culture, Mory Kante was born in Kissidougou, Guinea in 1951; the product of a family of griots (musicians who serve not merely as entertainers but also as tribal historians), at age seven he was sent to Mali to learn tribal lore as well as the kora, the West African harp. At 15, Kante relocated to Bamako and joined the Rail Band, then Malis most popular group; he remained with the band for seven years, until his rivalry with lead singer Salif Keita ultimately forced Kante to quit and join the Ambassadeurs. He left Bamako in 1977 for nearby Cote DIvoire, forming a 35-piece band dubbed Les Milieus Branches; at this time he began introducing elements of American soul and R&B into his sound, often working with producer (and former Stevie Wonder collaborator) Abdouaye Soumare. With the 1981 LP Courougnegne, Kante essentially laid much of the foundation for the cross-cultural fusions which defined Mandinka music throughout the decade, and was so successful not only in Africa but also Europe that he moved to Paris a year later. There he recorded 1984s Mory Kante a Paris, which increased his international visibility; his biggest hit followed in 1988, when the house music-inspired single Ye Ke Ye Ke was a hit throughout Europe. 1990s Touma pursued a similar creative direction; Nongo Village followed three years later, followed in 1997 by Un Amour de Prix.