Mariama

Music from Mopti (Mali) with Sory Bamba.

Bourama Bamba, better known as Sory Bamba, was born on 20 March 1938 in Mopti, a town on the Niger River in Mali. His father was an army veteran under ruler Samory Touré, and a nobleman in Malian society. This meant Sory wasn’t allowed to become a singer or musician, as that is only for people from the ‘griot’ class, the traditional cast of storytellers and musicians. But when he lost both his parents at the age of ten, he went into music after all.  A friend gave him a simple flute with six holes and he taught himself to play. He began making tom-toms and maracas with friends and started singing. He helped carry the trumpet for a local musician, and made use of it to learn how to play the instrument. In 1957, when he turned 20, he started his own band called Groupe Goumbé, named after a popular dance from Ivory Coast. Band members were Sory Bamba on trumpet and some percussionists. The group evolved over time into the more sophisticated ensemble Bani Jazz, named after the river that ends in the River Niger near Mopti. In 1966 they grew into the Orchestre Régional de Mopti with 14 members and Sory Bamba as its leader.

“Manden Po”, on the LP “Orchestre Régional de Mopti” from 1970 is an adaptation of a welcoming song from the Dogon people. They live in the region between Mali and Burkina Faso near the Cliffs of Bandiagara, not far from Mopti. The Dogon elders had given Sory Mamba permission to play their ceremonial music.

In 1968, Sory Bamba stayed in Abidjan at the same time as guitar player and singer Kante Manfila, who was from Kankan in Guinea. They recorded music together, mainly short numbers, in the style that was in vogue in Ivory Coast at the time, like Latin American music. These are recorded on this album they made together:

“Kante Manfila versus Sorry Bamba – Clash Mandingue”. The Pachanga might have been forgotten in the rest of the world, but at that time it was still very popular in Ivory Coast.

The Pachanga “Bravo Assec”, a composition from Sory Bamba, is a song written for the occasion when football club Assec in Ivory Coast became champion. Another number, “Les Aigles Du Mali” is also about football: “Eagles, men and women, make the song and the applause sound enjoyable! Supporters, men and women, let the football party be enjoyable!”.

In 1969, the Orchestre Régional de Mopti was renamed Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti, after the ceremonial Kanaga mask used by the Dogon.

Orchestre Kanaga released an LP in 1977, of which we play the song “Sare Mabo”. It tells about a village of weavers: “Friend of God, if you’d like to have beautiful clothes, wake me up and I will weave them for you”. The rhythm is based on that of the Dogon mask dances. Here you can see such a dance Dogon Mask Dance.

In the meantime, Sory Mamba released another LP in 1977: “Sorry Bamba Du Mali”. The number “Astan Kelly” on this LP is a love song dedicated to the bass player and keyboard player of the Kanaga orchestra, Mamadou Soumaoro, nicknamed “Zorro”, and the husband of Astan Kelly. The text: “Cheating is no good in love. I beg of you, don’t cheat on me.” The singer in “Astan Kelly” is Sory Bamba, who also plays the flute, and Kante Manfila plays lead guitar.

“Kelai Magni” is a composition from Sory Bamba. The son montuno “Super Bara Serah”, on the album “Clash Mandingue”, is a composition from Kante Manfila, with Sory Bamba doing vocals and flute.

Sory Bamba also started several dance groups in Mopti He was artistic director of the “Troupe des Authentiques Danseurs Masqués Dogons”, who did a big world tour in 1991. By that time, he lived in France, where he made another album in 2010 at the age of 72. But when the album, “Dogon Blues”, wasn’t as successful as expected, he returned to Mopti, where he passed away in 2022.

Thanks to Harm van der Wal, who provided the African music, and to Muziekweb.

Playlist:

1. Sory Bamba: Ladji, CD Clash Mandingue, 2008, Oriki Music Ork004, 2’03
2. Orchestre Régional de Mopti: Manden Po, LP Orchestre Régional de Mopti, 1970, Mali Music BM 30 L 2602, 4’31
3. Orchestre Régional de Mopti: An Jigi Ye Mali Ye, LP Orchestre Régional de Mopti, 1970, Mali Music BM 30 L 2602, 6’27
4. Sory Bamba: Mamou, EP Djima Records DAD 833CD / CD Clash Mandingue, 2008, Oriki Music Ork004, 2’56
5. Sory Bamba: Bravo Assec, EP Djima Records DAD 833CD / CD Clash Mandingue, 2008, Oriki Music Ork004, 2’49
6. Sory Bamba: Les Aigles Du Mali, CD Les Aigles Du Mali, 2001, Bolibana Distribution bip306, 5’32
7. Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti: Sare Mabo, L’Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti, 1977, Kindred Spirits KS-MALI-01CD, 6’36
8. Sory Bamba: Astan Kelly, CD Les Aigles Du Mali, 2001, Bolibana Distribution bip306, 7’25
9. Kante Manfila: Super Bara Serah, CD Clash Mandingue, 2008, Oriki Music Ork004, 3’28
10. Sory Bamba: Kelai Magni, EP Djima Records DAD 833CD / CD Clash Mandingue, 2008, Oriki Music Ork004, 3’09
11. Orchestre Régional De Mopti: Taara, LP Orchestre Régional de Mopti, 1970, Mali Music BM 30 L 2602, 9’30