Boubacar Traoré

Boubacar Traoré (born 1942 in Kayes, Mali) is a renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Traoré, nicknamed "Kar Kar" ("the one who dribbles too much" in Bambara, a reference to his soccer playing), first came to prominence in the early 1960s. He had taught himself to play guitar and developed a unique style that blended blues, Arab music, and kassonké, a style native to the Kayes region. He was a superstar in Mali and a symbol of the newly independent country.