Artist: Boubacar Traoré

CD title: Sa Golo

Label: Indigo

Date: 1996

Boubacar Traoré is a veteran guitarist and singer from the West African country, Mali, who is widely known by his nickname Kar Kar. Traoré has had a difficult life, and his songs are sung straight from the heart in a style sometimes called African or Malian blues.

Anyone familiar with Ali Farka Touré, Traoré's Grammy-winning compatriot, will recognize the style, which shares roots with and resembles American blues. Accompanied only by lifelong friend Baba Dramé on percussion, Kar Kar sings about love and culture and history, and he creates a sound that is both austere and full.

In "Dounia" the Mandingo rhythms give way to a subtle Afro-Cuban groove, while in "Soundiata" Traoré reprises the classic Malian song that pays tribute to Soundiata Keita, the thirteenth century founder of the Mali Empire. The music on Sa Golo is totally different than that on the D'Gary release, but it shares the same crucial brilliance.

Robert Ambrose produces "The Rhythm Connection" for public radio, and he writes about African music for The Beat magazine. The curious can reach him by e-mail at rambrose@alaska.net.