Amadou Balaké
| Amadou Balaké | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Amadou Traoré |
| Born |
March 8, 1944 Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso |
| Died | August 27, 2014 (aged 70) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |
| Genres | Mande music, Mossi music, son cubano, salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, bandleader |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1962-2014 |
| Labels | Volta Discobel, Sacodis, Disques CVD, Sterns |
| Associated acts | Horoya Band, Harmonie Voltaïque, Super Volta, Les 5 Consuls, Africando |
Amadou Traoré (March 8, 1944 – August 27, 2014), better known as Amadou Balaké, was a popular singer from Burkina Faso. During his career, which lasted over 50 years, Balaké recorded and performed in different parts of West Africa as well as New York and Paris. In the early 21st century, he was a member of Senegalese salsa band Africando. His music combined different traditions from his home country, primarily Dioula (Mandé) and Mossi, as well as Afro-Cuban music.
Amadou Traoré was born on March 8, 1944, in Ouahigouya, Yatenga, then a French territory. In 1952, his recently widowed mother moved to the capital, Ouagadougou, where he became interested in music. He spent six years working with his brother as a driver apprentice in Mopti, Mali, before returning to Ouagadougou in 1961 to work as a taxi driver. In 1962 he began his professional career, playing in different orchestras in Bamako, Abidjan, Kankan and Conakry throughout the decade. He joined Ouagadougou-based band Harmonie Voltaïque and scored a hit with his song "Balaké" ("porcupine" in Mandinka), changing his name to Amadou Balaké. He then became the singer for the Super Volta orchestra, and in 1970 he formed the band Amadou Balaké and the 5 Consuls before recording his first album as a leader in the mid 1970s.
In 1979 Balaké travelled with Gambian singer Laba Sosseh to New York, where he recorded two albums: À New York and Afro-Charanga, the latter featuring pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. In 1982, his single "Taximan n'est pas gentil" earned him a golden record in Ivory Coast. In the 1980s he travelled to Abidjan and Paris, where he continued performing.
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