Boubacar Traoré

Boubacar Traoré (born 1942 in Kayes, Mali) is a renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Traoré, nicknamed "Kar Kar" ("the one who dribbles too much" in Bambara, a reference to his soccer playing), first came to prominence in the early 1960s. He had taught himself to play guitar and developed a unique style that blended blues, Arab music, and kassonké, a style native to the Kayes region. He was a superstar in Mali and a symbol of the newly independent country. His songs were immensely popular and he enjoyed regular radio play. However, he made no recordings, and since there were no royalties payed to musicians, he was very poor and had to work odd jobs to make ends meet.

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