Kasse Mady Diabate was born in Kéla, Mali in 1949. The Diabatés are one of the two biggest griots families. Their ancestor Morykaba Diabaté fought with Soundjata in the 13th century. Kela is the capital of the griots, the Mecca of musical tradition. All of his cousins, brothers, sisters, know how to sing without micro before thousands of people but Kassé Mady is different because of his sweet voice. He owes his fame in Mali to this gentle, though powerful voice. At 20, he was already famous in Kangaba, the old Mandingo capital. Demba Diallo, the governor of the Kangaba district formed an orchestra and asked him to join it as a singer. For the first time Kassé Mady experienced electric music. Within a few years he has become the premiere Malinke singer (dominant ethnic group in Mandingo country). His fame reached Bamako, and in 1972 the Youth Ministry names him as singer in the Badema National Orchestra. Until 1988 Kasse Mady leads a double carrier of griot for men in high places and in popular parties and polyvalent singer with an electric orchestra in the capital. Apart from the large amount of the Badéma's tapes dispatched in the Mandingo country, Kasse Mady had had no other opportunity to make an album in Solo. In 1988 Ibrahima Sylla, the producer of many African hits asks the famous arranger Boncana Maïga to record a solo album with Kasse Mady. Boncana, a Songhay from Gao, has a vast musical culture. He studied for 8 years in Cuba where he founded the "Maravillas de Mali". read more
