Sory Bamba: Malian Music’s Forgotten Great

SORY Bamba, a Malian music pioneer, spends his days ensconced in the courtyard of his home in the old quarter of Mopti, a town in the centre of the country on the edge of the Sahara.

One of the original modernisers of Malian music, the 82-year-old infused traditional sounds with funk and jazz. He was also a dedicated talent scout.

But few now remember Sory Bamba in Mali, a conflict-ridden state known to music fans for its strong guitar-playing tradition.

Outside of the country, the musician is almost a complete unknown, though connaisseurs insist he belongs among the ranks of Mali’s musical icons such as Ali Farka Toure or Salif Keita.

“He is one of the greatest Malian musicians,” says Cheick Tidiane Seck, a Malian musician himself whose blend of jazz and traditional music won him renown in the 1990s.

But Bamba “is not someone who puts himself forward,” Seck says,