Yé ké yé ké - Mory Kante

Mory Kanté was born on March 29, 1950 in Kissidougou, Guinea. He was brought up in the Mandinka griot tradition in Guinea and sent to Mali at the age of 7, where he learned to play the kora harp. In 1971 Kanté became a member of the Rail Band, in which Salif Keïta was a singer. Keïta left the band in 1973, leaving Kanté as the singer.

Several years later he started a solo career. His biggest success was 'Yé ké yé ké', a single released in 1987. It became an international hit in 1988, reaching number 1 in the Netherlands and reaching the top 5 in several European countries. It became the first ever African single to sell over one million copies.

My collection: 7" single no. 3862
Found: Empire Records, Den Haag, July 18, 2009
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Yé ké yé ké' / 'Akwaba beach'