I love the music of Baba Soumano, a Malian musician of the 1950s who recorded at least 53 songs on 78 rpm discs, mostly for the Opika label. His large recording output exceeds that of Koni Coumaré, Fanta Damba and other much more acclaimed artists of the era, which makes Baba Soumano the most prolific Malian recording artist of the era. His name and musical legacy, however, are largely unknown today.

I have created a discography of Baba Soumano which is part of a larger discography of Malian music. With his groups the “Ensemble Soudanais Kita” (sometimes referred to as the “Orchestre Soudanais Kita”), or accompanied by Moussa Diabaté, Soumano's recordings represent some of the earliest examples of modern Mandé popular music. The featured instruments in his recordings are acoustic guitars, melodica, claves and a trap drum kit, a typically small ensemble that was mobile and able to tour widely. In Mali, these kinds of groups presented new styles of music that were central to the post-WW2 “Kaïra” movement, where “youth associations”, griots and nascent political parties mixed together at organised social events to stimulate cultural and political awareness. The Kaïra movement was a precursor to Malian independence, and it brought with it new styles of popular music.

Indeed, Baba Soumano performs the song “Kaïra” along with other well-known songs from the griot repertoire, such as “Douga”, “Namfoulé”, “Tubaka” [aka “Toubaka”], Soumdiata Kaïta [aka “Soundiata”] and "Diarabi". There is also “Sarah” – a song I am yet to hear. Could this be the earlier version of Balla et ses Balladins' classic from 1969? Or a nod to Siramori Diabaté and her classic version?

There is also “Mano whisky soda”, recorded in 1954 and re-released by Pathé in 1965, which is the same song recorded by Bembeya Jazz National (though they copied Fax Clarck's version of it). And “Mami wata”, too, which may be Soumano's original version recorded by Bembeya Jazz a decade or so after.

I would love to hear more music by Baba Soumano. I have these recordings, below, which I will put on YouTube. If you have others, please share! My contact information is here.

Mano whisky soda
Mela
Bébé
Namfoulé
Aponsa
Ça va barder!
Douga
Komadibé
Mama tikanama
Allah nolé
Reine Bouaké
Alanolé
Lombé lombé
Salilebiyé