In the countries that make up the former Malian empire, the death of a wise elder is often acknowledged by saying that "a library has burned." Mamadou Sanou was merely 49 years old when he passed away on November 25 from complications of malaria, right in what seemed like the middle of a musical career that was building a new wing on the West African musical library.
Madou was the founder, front man, singer and chief songwriter of Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band, who brought their unique take on Mandé cultural heritage to listeners around the world over the last eight years through a series of three albums for Sublime Frequencies Records and tours of Europe and the USA. Their epic 2023 American tour brought the band to Richmond's Get Tight Lounge in May and back to the Richmond Folk Festival in October. If you saw any of those shows, you know how mind-meltingly great this band could be.
This week (Sunday December 3, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) Global A Go-Go pays tribute to Baba Commandant with a two-hour special. You'll hear his musical origins, some of the traditional and popular music that influenced him, a few of his band's peers and of course selections from those three albums that we'll always have to remember him by.
Podcast: radio4all.net/program/116934
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go
Here's what it looked like at the Get Tight Lounge on May 24th. Just the ideal venue for an African rock band: In the backyard, under the stars.
And here's Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band after polishing off some tres leches cake. Baba is second from the right.
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Waso | Juguya | Sublime Frequencies | 2015
Sibiri Samake | Mali | M'Barassa | Dambe Foli | Kanaga System Krush | 2011
Moukoro Zakaria, Moukoro Mahamadou | Burkina Faso | Grand Ngoni (Dioula) | Burkina Faso, Volume 3 | Sublime Frequencies | 2016
Kokanko Sata Doumbia | Mali | Djiguiya | Live on WRIR May 2, 2014 | | 2014
Leni Stern | Germany-USA-Mali | Smoke, No Fire | Smoke, No Fire | self-released | 2012
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Kameleba | Sonbonbela | Sublime Frequencies | 2022
Le Super Djata Band Du Mali | Mali | Batila | En Super Forme Vol. 1 | Musique Mondiale | 1982
Issa Bagayogo | Mali | Namadjidja | Mali Koura | Six Degrees | 2008
Oumou Sangaré | Mali | Wele Wele Wintou | Seya | Nonesuch | 2009
Madou Djembé | Burkina Faso | Droits De L'Homme | Reggae Vagabond | self-released | 200x
Madou Djembé | Burkina Faso | Diarabi | Reggae Vagabond | self-released | 200x
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Loga Fo Djelba | Sira Ba Kele | Sublime Frequencies | 2018
Bamba Wassoulou Groove | Mali | Farima | Farima | Label Bleu | 2015
BKO Quintet | Mali-France | Strange Wassolon | Bamako Today | Buda Musique | 2015
Orchestra Gold | Mali-USA | Lemuru | Lemuru - Single | self-released | 2020
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Keleya | Sira Ba Kele | Sublime Frequencies | 2018
Moussa Doumbia | Mali | Keleya | Keleya | Pathé | 1977
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