Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Bara Sambarou

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Bara Sambarou
(Mali)

Musiques d'Afrique
Musiques du Mali

Bara Sambarou (Ibrahima Sambarou Sarré) is a prominent Peul-griot from the town of Mopti. Born in 1946, he plays the hoddu, a traditional 4-string wooden lute. He was a disciple of Hamdoum Birinta Djiga, the first Peul griot to have sung on Malian radio ever, and of Emana Patal, a hoddu player. During the 1970s, his songs gained in popularity among the Peuls in Mali, and a local producer started duplicating cassettes that were sought after. One particular song, « Gambari », was so popular that it became his trade mark song. Especially in the Mopti region, his songs were frequently played on the radio. Gambari refers to a white fabric imported from Nigeria, that young peul traders, from the diawando caste, would bring back from successful business to give to their wives, as a sign of their prosperity. The song became a hymne for the Diawando.

Although Sambarou's music is virtually unknown outside Mali, Jean Ducassé decided to uncover his music by putting forward a live version of « Gambari », recorded in 1979, that, although there are probably about 30 versions of the song, has that special magic impossible to recreate today. An alternate version and a soul remix of the song is added to form an album, and a DVD volume contains a documentary on Bara Sambarou's life and music.

On the CD Mali : le hoddu Peul | The Fulani Hoddu on the Ocora label, there are 4 songs by Bara Sambarou, along those of fellow hoddu players, such as Toka Abagouro Sarré, Nassourou Sarré and Dinda Hamma Sarré.

Sources:
CD liner notes

Born: 1946, in Konsa (near Mopti), as Ibrahima Sambarou Sarré
Style: peul praise music, hoddu.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Gambari 79	2008	Totolo TOTOLO005	CD & DVD