MAMADOU KONTE

A Thelonious Monk look-alike with his eternal hat, and his thin body wrapped up in large coats, Mamadou Konté has been, since the last seventies, the worldwide ambassador of African musics. After guiding the career of such ground-breaking artists as Salif Keita, Mamadou Konté has established Africa Fête's notoriety on an Atlantic triangle linking up Europe, Africa, and America. Long is the way that led him to such a position.

Born in Tambacounda (Senegal), on July, 22, 1948, Mamadou Konté sails from Dakar to France in 1965. He arrives in Marseilles, illiterate, with only one address in his pocket, of a Saint-Denis hotel, in the Parisian suburbs, where people from his village live. He will be a factory worker for the following ten years.

In May 68, he gets involved in the struggle for the improvement of immigrant workers' condition. He gets in touch with radical militants who teach him to read. In 1969, he leads the rent strike in the immigrant workers' hostels. Against the Giscard project aiming at "helping" immigrants to go home, he creates an association. Its purpose is to prepare an intelligent home-coming for those who want it.

He also considers the possibility of organizing a federation of immigrant tenants, in order to improve the situation in the hostels. To raise funds he gets acquainted in 1976 with French singer François Béranger. From this encounter the first concert organized by Mamadou Konté will see the light. It is the outline of the Festival Africa Fête, which will take off in 1978.

Jack Lang, French minister of Culture, shows an official recognition of his work by confering on Mamadou Konté the Order of "Arts et Lettres", in 1992.
"I am not an Africanist, I'm not trying to defend only the Africans. I try to defend an idea that will be profitable to French children, African children, and children from all over the world." Mamadou Konté