HISTOIRE D'AMADOU FOULA BAH, LE PETIT PRINCE DU FOUTA

AMADOU FOULA BAH, FROM MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC TO THE PINNACLE OF MANDING MUSIC… “Man proposes, God disposes, and nature prevails,” as the saying goes. This statement perfectly reflects the life of Amadou Foula Bah, the creator of the popular song “Gongama.” MUSIC… Far removed from the Fulani identity of the Bah family of Maci in the heart of Pita, the former member of the “22 Band” orchestra from Kankan is Fulani in name only. The singer with the smooth voice owes everything to Kankan, where he was born in 1962. If the dusty, oil-stained mechanical parts of the Kankan Météo neighborhood could speak, they would tell the story of a teenager captivated by the raw, unadulterated sound of Manding music. Amadou is the youngest of four children. Tierno Souleymane, the manager of a restaurant in Kankan, dreamed of having a son who would become a motorcycle mechanic. It was a very popular trade in a city where the inhabitants held motorcycles in high regard. In 1975, he entrusted young Amadou to a master mechanic who called himself Amadou “Japan,” a specialist in repairing Yamaha 100 and Honda 125 motorcycles. But Amadou entrusted to Amadou? A distinction was needed so that the two wouldn't simultaneously answer the incessant calls of customers at their garage located in the heart of Kankan Météo. Hence the addition of “Foula” to the apprentice's name, making him Amadou Foula, a nod to his Fouta Djallon origins. One day, a man showed up at Master Amadou's garage. He asked the young mechanic everyone was talking about to repair his motorcycle. Elhadj Sidi Mamady, the father of the griots Oumou and Missia Saran Diabaté. While working on his car, young Amadou combined business with pleasure by humming a few popular Mandinka songs, such as Nafoulén, a tune covered by several griots. The renowned balafon player was quite surprised by his mechanic's vocal timbre. He invited him to his home that same evening for a musical gathering. On this occasion, Amadou Foula performed Dyandyo and Sakhodugou, accompanied by the guitar playing of Mansa Kérélen, his client's eldest son, who had just returned from Ivory Coast. That day, unsurprisingly, Elhadj predicted his guest's musical future. "Young man," he said, "you will be a great singer!" Young Amadou's new circle also introduced him to Dyéli Moussa Diawara, an eminent guitarist who would initiate him into praise songs. The musical path was well-defined: Amadou joined Fè Koromba Jazz, a small orchestra in Kankan 1 that rivaled Pôti Koron Jazz in Kankan 2. But within Kankan, there was another, larger orchestra: Horoya Bande, the federal orchestra of Kankan. A year after the somber commemoration of the Portuguese aggression against Guinea on November 22, 1970, the Horoya Bande orchestra was restructured and became, on November 15, 1971, the 22nd Band of Kankan. The number 22 refers to the date of the Portuguese aggression against Guinea, November 22, 1970. New energy was needed to revitalize the nearly defunct orchestra. Mamady Sonké was chosen as lead singer, along with several other musicians such as Sidi Dioubaté and Nagnan Mory Kouyaté. The group quickly contributed to the modernization of Mandinka music and even won first prize at the 1974 National Festival, releasing several albums (Dans le vent, Venez voir, Mankan) and tracks like Deny, Kobé na touma, and Mankan, which became radio hits. MUSIC… KOBENA TOUMA In search of new voices, the 22nd Band of Kankan offered a stage to mini-orchestras, Pôtikoron Jazz and Fè Koromba Jazz, to discover new talent. The two orchestras took advantage of a break from the Federal Orchestra to showcase their skills, unaware that they were being auditioned. Between the young mechanic and Mory Djely, who would later become the Bélé-béléba of Guinean music, the orchestra quickly chose the former. 1978, Master Amadou Japon lost an apprentice, but Guinea gained a legendary voice. Now a member of 22 Bande, Amadou didn't arrive empty-handed. He quickly pushed the group's linguistic boundaries, creating a bridge between Mandinka and pastoral music. For the first time, he composed the song "Gongoma" for the group, leading the members in dancing the Toumboussèssè. GONGAMA MUSIC… The time a tree trunk spends in water never transforms it into a crocodile. Amadou Foula certainly agrees with this African proverb. The signing of this song proves that his long stay in Kankan hasn't changed his Fouta Djallon roots. Yes, Amadou is striving to be more culturally diverse. With 22 Bande, he participated in the first Arts and Culture Festival in 1979 in Conakry, and then in Libya in 1982.