black Year for african music. After Aurlus Mabélé and Manu Dibango, it is the turn of Mory Kanté bow out at the age of 70 years. The information was given by his son Balla Kante to a correspondent of the AFP. The sad event occurred at 9: 45 a.m. on may 22nd in the hospital, the sino-guinea Conakry, where he had been hospitalized for chronic diseases that the crisis of the Covid-19 did not permit him to treat out of Guinea due to the suspension of international flights. "We have seen his condition deteriorate rapidly," said his son, who said he is "surprised" because the musician and singer " had been through times much worse ". "He leaves an immense legacy for the culture, too vast for that we can all cite," added Balla Kante, who has made it clear that Mory Kanté " has done a lot for the culture in his country by building studios, cultural structures ". "But more importantly, he continued, he valued the music of guinean and african by making it known throughout the world. "Reacting to the disappearance of the illustrious musician, president Alpha Condé has tweeted :" The african culture is in mourning. Thank you the artist. An exceptional golf course. Copy. A sense of pride. "
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A journey of exception
Member of his / her debut from the famous musical group Super Rail Band of Bamako, orchestra, marking the west african music of the 1970s, and has also revealed the immense Salif Keita, Mory Kanté was one of the voices of the most iconic of Africa. Born into a famous family of griots, these poets, storytellers and musicians custodians of the oral history of families in West Africa, Mory Kanté was one of the pioneers of the mandingue music. After leaving the Rail Band, he revolutionised west african music in the 1980s, electrifying his instrument and the opening of the traditional music from mandingo village to beats electronic and the "grooves" more urban. The concept of "World Music" was then still in its infancy, but Mory Kanté had set its marks.
indeed, who does not remember the huge tube that blew up the charts in 1988, "Yéké Yéké" ? A mixture of kora and rhythms that enchanted the entire planet. It is indeed with "Yéké Yéké" that this master of the traditional instrument string that is the kora, with a powerful head voice, has attained international fame by leading the mandingue music on the dance floor. The album Akwaba Beach, where this song was one of the largest global sales of music of black Africa.
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A focus on the acoustics in the 2000s
In the 2000s, after a certain disenchantment from the public, Mory Kanté was a time oriented towards music that is more acoustic, in a band that were dominated by the strings. In early 2010, in The Guinean, his first album for eight years, recorded in the country, he chose the formula of the grand orchestra, that of the golden age of west african music in the years post-independence, with a suite of melodies with mandingo held where on grooves, western accents, funk, reggae, zouk. The goodwill ambassador for the united Nations Organization for food (FAO), he had also sung for the benefit of the fight against Ebola, which has hit Guinea, between 2013 and 2016.
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A lion that never goes down
Mory Kanté will leave a trace strong in the building of the recognition of the mandingue music in the world. © ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP
Personality reference of the music in Guinea, Mory Kanté has refused to be a part of the legends outdated. Two years after his return and the album of inspiration, a traditional The of Guinea, in which he sang the women of his country, Mory Kanté is back with what he must consider as his trademark : a music that combines dance, choirs and the crowd. Behind, very naturally, the desire to reclaim an international audience with a strong sensitivity to both French and african. To do this, he teamed up with DJ Milano who, among other things, wrote "Saga Africa" of Noah. This gave an amazing title.
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The desire to anchor it in its time had been manifested. Mory Kanté had in effect asked the stable star of the Dance Floors, the label Dutch Spinnin' Records, the references of which are Martin Garrix, Afrojack and many others, he put together something of a tonic. The duo of DJ's Magnificence was loaded and the result was really worth the detour. The title of the single that was fired was a whole program : "I Wouli Ka Don Ke Africa Can Break Down The Wall. "In French," Africa can break down the wall ". In these times of Covid-19, where the Africans believe that it is necessary to change the paradigm, this title sounds like a message that the virtuoso of the kora that was Mory Kanté wanted to leave to posterity. Message received.
