Mory Kanté facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mory Kanté
Kanté in 2019
Background information
Born	(1950-03-29)29 March 1950 Albadaria, French Guinea
Died	22 May 2020(2020-05-22) (aged 70) Conakry, Guinea
Genres	World music
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, kora
Years active	1971–2020

Mory Kanté (born March 29, 1950 – died May 22, 2020) was a famous singer and kora player from Guinea. The kora is a type of harp. He became very well known around the world for his 1987 hit song "Yé ké yé ké". This song reached number one in several countries, including Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain. His album, Akwaba Beach, which featured "Yé ké yé ké", was the best-selling African record of its time.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Mory Kanté was born in Albadaria, French Guinea, on March 29, 1950. At that time, French Guinea was part of French West Africa. His parents, El Hadj Djeli Fodé Kanté and Fatouma Kamissoko, were both musicians. They belonged to one of Guinea's most famous families of "griots".

What is a Griot?

A griot is a special kind of musician, storyteller, and historian. They pass down traditions and stories through music and songs. This knowledge is usually passed from parents to children. Mory Kanté was raised in this Mandinka griot tradition.

When he was seven years old, Mory was sent to Mali. There, he learned to play the kora. He also learned important singing styles needed to become a griot. Kanté was a Muslim and often included parts of Islamic music in his songs.

Music Career and Global Hits

Mory Kanté started his music career in 1971. He joined a band called the Rail Band. Salif Keita was the singer in this band at first. When Keïta left in 1973, Mory Kanté became the new lead singer.

The Success of "Yé ké yé ké"

In 1987, Kanté released his most famous song, "Yé ké yé ké". This song became one of Africa's biggest hits ever. It was also a number-one hit in Europe in 1988. It was the first African single to sell over one million copies! The album it came from, Akwaba Beach, became the best-selling African record of its time. This album also had an Islamic song called "Inch Allah".

Influence on Bollywood

Another song from the album, "Tama", inspired two Indian Bollywood songs. These were "Tamma Tamma" in the 1990 film Thanedaar and "Jumma Chumma" in the 1991 film Hum. The film Hum also had another song, "Ek Doosre Se", which was inspired by "Inch Allah".

Later Collaborations and Remixes

In 1994, Mory Kanté gained new fans when a German techno music group called Hardfloor made a dance remix of "Yéké Yéké". He also worked with British DJ Darren Tate in 2006. Kanté sang on Tate's song "Narama".

Goodwill Ambassador and Social Causes

On October 16, 2001, Mory Kanté was named a FAO Goodwill Ambassador. This means he worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He helped raise awareness about important issues like world hunger. He took part in the World Food Day ceremony in Rome that year.

In 2014, Kanté joined other top African musicians. They recorded a song called "Africa Stop Ebola". This song gave important advice to help people during the Ebola crisis. It sold 250,000 copies, and all the money went to the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Later Life and Passing

Mory Kanté passed away on May 22, 2020, in a hospital in Conakry, Guinea. He was 70 years old. In his last years, he had some long-term health problems. He used to travel to France for treatment. However, this became difficult because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is buried in Conakry Kipe's cemetery.

Selected Music

Here are some of Mory Kanté's albums and singles.

Albums

• Courougnegne (1981)
• N'Diarabi (1982)
• A Paris (1984)
• 10 Cola Nuts (1986)
• Akwaba Beach (1987)
• Touma (1990)
• Nongo Village (1993)
• Tatebola (1996)
• Tamala – Le Voyageur (2001)
• Best Of (2002)
• Sabou (2004)
• La Guinéenne (2012)

Contributing artist

• The Rough Guide to Acoustic Africa (2013, World Music Network)

Singles

• "Yé ké yé ké" (1988)
• "Tama" (1988)
• "Yéké Yéké" (remix) (1995)
• "Yéké Yéké" (remix) (1996)

See also

In Spanish: Mory Kanté para niños