Les Ambassadeurs - Biography
In the 1970s, the Malian music scene sparkled, led by Les Ambassadeurs, one of a number of impassioned ensembles whose paths would spiral and wind and intermesh, in ways that vivified the unique, jubilant sounds of African popular music, from Mauritania to Côte d'Ivoire to Mali. It started in war-torn Congo, where, after World War II, European and American servicemen introduced the electric guitar and a broad array of styles. Foreign dance music, ranging from Argentine tangos to rhumbas and waltzes, gained in popularity across the African continent. However, with their hybridized origins in both Africa and Latin America, it was the energetic sounds from Cuba that really gripped the imaginations of the musicians of Francophone Africa. It was a trans-cultural rapport with tenacious bonds, as Afro-national independence movements coincided with the rise of socialism in Cuba. In Mali, Cuban soldiers inspired Malian artists, and an eclectic, internationally flavored ferment was established. These musicians drew from traditional folk instrumentation, but refused to emulate its standard applications; they adopted the bellowing brass of jazz and the guitar-bass-and-electric-organ fuzz of rock ‘n’ roll, but refused to accept its stylistic restrictions. By the late 1960s, a autocratic regime was imposed in Mali, and strident nationalism became a priority; accordingly the government’s Ministry of Information began offering formal state sponsorship of groups that promoted a uniquely Malian sound.
The Rail Band was formed in 1970, and they definitely qualified as unique. They got the name from the Bamako railway station bar at which they were the house band; after the government intervened, they assumed the official title: Super Rail Band of the Buffet Hotel de la Gare, Bamako. The Rail Band put forth a dizzying combination of Afro-Cuban beats, jazz-tinged horns, lilting vocals in the regional Bambara language, and a heady combo mix of electric organ, guitars and bass. One drummer used a full rock drum kit, but other on-stage percussionists played massive local idiophones like the balafon (think: giant xylophones, using gourds as resonators); there were West African lutes, and nods to all sorts of regional styles, many from rival ethnic groups that held each other in long-standing mistrust and animosity. Fronting the extravaganza was the fabulously charismatic lead singer, Salif Keita. If Keita carries himself like royalty, it’s because he’s a direct descendent of the founder of the Mali Empire. In fact, Keita was a Mandinka aristocrat of the highest social order, but was cast out as an infant for being born an albino. Like all-star footballers, the Rail Band were soon playing in soccer stadiums across West Africa.
All great teams require an arch rival, and the Rail Band soon had theirs. Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako also got their start at a hotel bar, and while they lacked government intervention, they promptly rose to the top of the Malian pop scene. Les Ambassadeurs ran the musical gamut, snatching pop sounds from West African, Latin America, and Europe, and their infectious beats placed them as direct competitors with the Rail Band. In 1972, Keita left the Rail Band for Les Ambassadeurs, shocking fans across the nation. In the mid-70s, fearing an increasing dangerous political situation, Keita and several members of the band fled to the relative stability and prosperity of Côte d'Ivoire; using Abidjan as a base, and rechristened Ambassadeurs Internationaux, Keita and these new ambassadors achieved fame throughout French-speaking Africa. While the various permutations of the Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs have released vast quantities of singles and albums in Africa throughout the decades, in the West, their recorded output can be elusive. Fortunately, we have the recent African Classics series, which features Les Ambassadeurs ft. Salif Keita (2007 Sheer Legacy); there’s also the more readily available Les Ambassadeurs Internationales featuring Salif Keita (2008 Rounder Records). Keita eventually move to Paris, where continues to reign as Afro-pop royalty.
