Was Moussa Traore, the military man who assumed power after Modibo Keita was overthrown, any better?
C.K.: Moussa Traore? No, Moussa Traore was not better. But as I was saying, when he made the coup, he was really acclaimed by the nation frankly. Because people were really sick of Modibo Keita’s way of ruining the country, with a strong hand, with his militia. So people had become so disenchanted with it that the military coup came as a relief. But very quickly it turned into its own monster. The military regime also showed that these people did not have much vision of what the modern Mali was going to be. And that also deteriorated very quickly. B.E.: Well it took 23 years—not quickly enough, one might say. But before we leave Modibo Keita, isn’t there anything to be said for the legacy that he left on Mali’s music and culture? After all, it was his regime that established the Instrumental Ensemble, and other great musical institutions. C.K.: That’s right. Certainly they were able to draw on a sense on the old Mali, the mystique of the old Mali, to draw from that musically in terms o
