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Live! Boubacar Traoré & Vincent Bucher & Jeremie Diarra

Boubacar Traoré has been captivating audiences with his music, dance, and singing on stages around the world for more than 60 years. Yet, despite his long career, this is the first time his live performances have ever been captured for a production.

Known to friends and fans as "Kar Kar," Boubacar Traoré is no stranger to the ups anddowns of a musician’s life. Still vibrant and full of energy at 82, the legendary guitarist and singer reflects on over six decades of stage experience and an incredible journey through not one but four distinct careers

Live! Boubacar Traoré & Vincent Bucher & Jeremie Diarra

​For the past 20 years, Kar Kar has relied on a faithful musical partner: Vincent Bucher. The harmonica virtuoso found his way to the instrument through the blues, guided by Afro-American musician Sugar Blue, who also famously worked with the Rolling Stones. In the 1980s, Bucher performed with blues legends such as Louisiana Red, Eddie Shaw, and Jimmy Johnson, both as a soloist and with his band "Hot'Cha." His collaborations extended to French chansonniers like Charlélie Couture and blues rocker Bill Deraime. Additionally, Bucher forged a lasting musical friendship with Madegassan musician Tao Ravao.

Bucher’s career also included years of performing in Paris metro stations and extensive travels through West Africa, where he discovered deep connections to his personal understanding of the blues. It was during these travels that he began performing with Lobi Traoré and Abou Diarra. Bucher met Boubacar Traoré at a festival in Canada, and shortly afterward, 20 years ago, they performed together for the first time at the Africa Festival in Würzburg. Reflecting on this partnership, Traoré once said with a smile, “Il connaît ma musique” ("He knows my music"), signifying not only Bucher’s mastery of his songs but also the unique synergy they share.

The youngest member of this extraordinary trio is percussionist Jeremie Diarra, just over 30 years old. Diarra’s repertoire includes the djembe, West Africa’s most iconic drum, the timpani-like doum doum, and the calabash, an instrument that has particularly captured his interest. For nearly two years, he has provided a subtle yet perfectly timed rhythm to complement Kar Kar’s music, adding another layer to the magic of their performances.

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