Kassé Mady Diabaté was born in Kéla in 1949. The Diabatés are one of the tw… Read Full Bio ↴Kassé Mady Diabaté was born in Kéla in 1949. The Diabatés are one of the two biggest griots families.
Kela is the capital of the griots, the Mecca of musical tradition. All of his cousins, brothers, sisters, know how to sing but Kassé Mady is different because of his sweet voice. He owes his fame in Mali to this gentle, though but powerful voice.

At 20, he was already famous in Kangaba, the old Mandingo capital. Demba Diallo, the governor of the Kangaba district formed an orchestra and asked him to join it as a singer.
For the first time Kassé Mady experienced electric music. Within a few years he became the first Malinke singer (dominant ethnic group in Mandingo country).
His fame reached Bamako, and in 1972 the Youth Ministry named him as singer in the Badema National Orchestra. Until 88 Kasse Mady lead a double carrier of griot for men in high places and in popular parties and polyvalent singer with an electric orchestra in the capital.

Apart from the large amount of the Badéma's tapes dispatched in the Mandingo country, Kasse Mady had had no other opportunity to make an album in Solo. In 88 Ibrahima Sylla, the producer of many African hits asked the famous arranger Boncana Maïga to record a solo album with Kasse Mady. Boncana, a Songhay from Gao, has a vast musical culture. He studied for 8 years in Cuba where he founded the "Maravillas de Mali".
He is a virtuoso who can perform Bach flute sonatas, played with "Fania AlI Stars" In New York, and composes hits of the pop music and twelve-tone string quartets! For both Kasse Mady and Boncana cutting a record together was an adventure, from which each could marvel at the talent of the other.

Kassé Mady Diabaté died on 24 May 2018 in Bamako, Mali.
From www.mali-music.com