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Issa Bagayogo (1961-2016)
(Mali)
Biography
Issa Bagayogo (Techno Issa) grew up as a peasant in a village in the south of Mali.
When working on the fields, he sometimes played the daro, an iron bell, to encourage the other workers on the field. At
age of 12, he learnt playing the kamelen n'goni. Over the years, he improved his musical abilities
and in 1991 he went to Bamako and ended up in a new studio where he recorded his first cassette. A second cassette came out in
1993, but neither of the two albums were successful. Issa, very disappointed, started taking pills, his wife left him and
he dropped out. In his village, he was regarded as a mad man.
One day, he decided to get his life on the track again, and sought again to pursue his musical career. He met recording engineer Yves Wernert and Moussa Koné, Ali Farka Touré's guitar companion, and together, they experimented with mixing traditional Malian music with rhythm samples.
His cassette « Sya » was released in Mali late 1998 and was an immediate success. In March 1999, he was awarded "le Prix du meilleur espoir de la chanson malienne" by national Malian radio and TV. The album was released internationally in 1999, and Issa toured extensively in Europe during 2001. His second international release « Timbuktu », released early 2002, has received considerable international attention as did his following album « Tassoumakan ».
With his fourth international album « Mali Koura » (2008), Issa returns to a more acoustic approach, where Malian traditional music remains at the forefront, without the dance samples used on his previous work. It is probably his most mature album. Unfortunately, Issa struggled with his health for a long time, and this lead to his untimely death in 2016.
Born: 1961, in Korin, 65km of Bougouni, South Mali
Died: 10 October 2016
Style: semi traditional music / wassoulou music mixed with modern dance samples
One day, he decided to get his life on the track again, and sought again to pursue his musical career. He met recording engineer Yves Wernert and Moussa Koné, Ali Farka Touré's guitar companion, and together, they experimented with mixing traditional Malian music with rhythm samples.
His cassette « Sya » was released in Mali late 1998 and was an immediate success. In March 1999, he was awarded "le Prix du meilleur espoir de la chanson malienne" by national Malian radio and TV. The album was released internationally in 1999, and Issa toured extensively in Europe during 2001. His second international release « Timbuktu », released early 2002, has received considerable international attention as did his following album « Tassoumakan ».
With his fourth international album « Mali Koura » (2008), Issa returns to a more acoustic approach, where Malian traditional music remains at the forefront, without the dance samples used on his previous work. It is probably his most mature album. Unfortunately, Issa struggled with his health for a long time, and this lead to his untimely death in 2016.
Born: 1961, in Korin, 65km of Bougouni, South Mali
Died: 10 October 2016
Style: semi traditional music / wassoulou music mixed with modern dance samples
Issa Bagayogo
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Mali Koura | 2008 | Six Degree Records 657036-1151-2 | |
| Tassoumakan | 2004 | Six Degree Records 657036-1103-2 | Also on Wrasse Records WRASS137 |
| Timbuktu | 2001 | Six Degree Records 657036-1062-2 | |
| Sya | 1999 | Cobalt 09292-2 | Also on Six Degree Records 657036-10672 |
| Fengue | 199? | EMI Mali | Cassette |
Sources
mali-music.com (obsolete link)
mali-music.com (obsolete link)
Page added December 2001