Lobi Traoré

Like his friend and sometimes associate Ali Farka Touré, Lobi Traoré was an excellent guitarist, a warm singer, and a revered player of Mali-flavored blues. Born in 1961 in the Malian village of Bakaridiana, Traoré was the son of two singers. At 16 he traveled to the city of Ségou, where at the age of 19 he discovered Zani Diabate & the Super Djata Band playing Bambara repertoire. It influenced Traoré to start playing his own music in the Bambara language. He started at weddings and then bars, most notably the Bozo. By the time Traoré was regularly playing the Bozo, his music ...