- country:Mali
- region:West Africa
- style(s):Blues
- label:Outhere Records
- gender:male
- artist posted by:Hausmusik
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Bassekou was born in a village called Garana about 60 kms from Segu, in the remote countryside on the banks of the Niger river. He was raised in a traditional musical environment, his mother a praise singer and his father and brothers exceptional ngoni players. He moved to Bamako when he was 19 years old where he met the young Toumani Diabate. By the late 1980s Bassekou was part of Toumani's trio and they recorded their first albums together, Songhai and Djelika. Bassekou married the singer Ami Sacko (so-called 'the Tina Turner of Mali") and they are much solicited for the traditional Sunday wedding parties that happen in the streets of Bamako. Now he has put together his own band: Ngoni ba; the big ngoni: Mali's first ngoni quartett.