Jacques Sarasin's compelling documentary examines the career of Malian guitarist and singer Boubacar Traoré—a perennial favourite at the Vancouver Folk Festival. The life and the music of this legendary musician cannot be separated from the turbulent history of Mali, one of the poorest nations in the world. In the early 1960s, when Mali had newly won its independence from France, people awoke each morning to the sound of Traoré's melancholic voice on the radio, singing hit after hit ("KarKar Madison," "Mali Twist," "Kayes Ba,") in which, in raucous, dance-demanding style, he urged his fellow citizens to return to Mali and help build the country. From that day on, despite a 20-year self-imposed exile from the stage, Traoré's nickname, KarKar—earned as a young soccer star (it means "he who dribbles too much" in Bambara) has been synonymous with dance, joy and engagement politique in Mali.
Sarasin's sensitive portrait of KarKar is also a crash-course in Bambara culture and history. Shot during a two-month journey across Mali, the film retraces Traoré's personal and public journey, from self-taught writer of political anthems to mason living in an immigrant foyer in France to internationally revered recording star. Throughout the film, KarKar remains silent, letting those around him describe his place in Malian history. The only time he opens his mouth is to sing, and, as we learn through this compelling film, each time he does, the air resonates with either the hopes or the despair of an entire nation.