Sekouba entered Guinea’s then prodigious music scene in the late 70s, at the crest of the country’s modern musical life.  At 16, Diabaté was scouted by Sekou Touré’s government to sing for Guinea’s top national band, Bembeya Jazz National.  Shortly after Diabaté joined the group, however, Guinea’s national ensembles were privatized, and the group fell apart.  Far from hampering his career, Bembeya’s dissolution created new opportunities for Bambino.  Before beginning his solo career a year later, he toured with former band-mate and guitar player Sekou “Diamond Fingers” Diabaté throughout the US in 1989.  With his solo debut, Le Destin (Popular African Music) Bambino’s vocal talent remained clear.  His dedication to a traditional yet innovative sound was obvious, even among the electronic drum tracks that underlay the album. 

For his ground-breaking release, Kassa (Sterns) Bambino teamed up with legendary producer Ibrahim Sylla, best known for his collaborative work with Salif Keita, and also Africando (A pan-Atlantic project pairing Latin American session musicians with West African singers).  This partnership, coupled with memories of the Afro-Cuban music that flooded Guinea in the 1960s (Bambino’s youth), added a distinctly Latin flavor to Bambino’s mature work. With Sylla lending advanced production equipment and knowledge, Kassa was a polished piece of musicianship, winning Sekouba international recognition.  On Sinikan (Next Music), Bambino’s 2002 release, those Latin roots rub with American soul and funk, an intriguing blend that heightened Bambino’s already irreproachable reputation among Guineans.  Bambino has since released other albums, indluding Ambiance Balloon and 15th Anniversary, both on the Syllart label.  Bambino continues to collaborate with Sylla and Africando, lending his “golden” tenor voice on several of the groups’ tracks.  He also remains one of the most popular singers in West Africa. 

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Sekouba
West Africa
Guinea
sekouba bambnio
"The golden voice of Guinea," Sekouba "Bambino" Diabaté is widely regarded as Guinea's foremost vocal talent. Despite an increasingly stark musical landscape in Guinea, Sekouba keeps the tradition of his griot ancestors alive. Read more on Sekouba...
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