He was born into a family of "griots" -- West African musicians and storytellers; he was called "the electronic griot". He was a skilled player of the kora, a West African harp, which he learned to play in Mali when he was 7 years old.
In the 1970s, he joined Mali's famous group the Rail Band of Bamako, and later became the lead singer after Salif Keita left.
International success came in 1988 when he released his album Akwaba Beach, which includes his best-known work, Yéké Yéké.