Amadou Balaké

(March 8, 1944 – August 27, 2014) Better known as Amadou Balaké, Amadou Traoré was a popular singer from Burkina Faso. During his career, which lasted over 50 years, he recorded and performed in different parts of West Africa as well as New York and Paris. In the early 21st century, he was a member of Senegalese salsa band Africando. His music combined different traditions from his home country, primarily Dioula (Mandé) and Mossi, as well as Afro-Cuban music.