Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako (Sterns Africa STCD 3065-66CD, 2014)
This superb 2CD set documents the recordings 18 recordings made by seminal Malian band Les Ambassadeurs in Bamako between 1975 and 1977. Les Ambassadeurs were musical trailblazers who recreated Manding music by mixing it with Cuban music, jazz, rock and American soul. The result was explosive and irresistible.
Les Ambassadeurs produced some of West Africa’s finest musicians such as celebrated vocalist Salif Keita, innovative guitarists Kante Manfila, Ousmane Kouyate and Amadou Bagayoko (well-known as half of the popular duo Amadou & Mariam), saxophonist Moussa Sissoko, keyboardist Idrissa Soumaoro, and multi-instrumentalist Keletigui Diabate on bala (a West African xylophone) and fiddle.
The idea of creating an all-star band was envisioned by a high-ranking officer in the military government that ruled Mali. He entertained VIP guests at the Motel de Bamako and wanted a strong attraction that would compete with famous Rail Band that performed at the Buffet Hotel, next to Bamako’s central train station.
Les Ambassadeurs was formed in 1970 and combined top musicians from various bands in from four different countries. In 1973, the Rail Band’s star vocalist, Salif Keita, left the Rail Band and joined Les Ambassadeurs. By the mid-1970s Les Ambassadeurs became the leading Malian band, releasing a series of hits, touring West Africa, and making appearances in France.
The majority of the songs featured on Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako have neve appeared on CD before and two of the pieces are Radio Mali live recordings never released until now. The album booklet features extensive liner notes, rare photographs, and reproductions of LP covers.
Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako is an essential collection of music by one of Mali’s legendary groundbreaking bands of the 1970.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
