Kante Manfila

Guinean musician (guitarist, vocalist, composer), born in 1947 Farabanah, Republic of Guinea (West Africa), died July 20, 2011 Paris, France. Most well known as the guitarist for Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux. Not to be confused with Kante Manfila Dabadou, singer of the Guinean band Keletigui Et Ses Tambourinis. In 1972 Kanté Manfila joined Les Ambassadeurs du Motel in Bamako (Mali) as lead guitarist and vocalist. That same year Malian singer Salif Keita (who had left the Rail Band de Bamako) also joined Les Ambassadeurs as lead vocalist. For many years, Manfila and Keita had a productive collaborative relationship. In 2005, Mali’s president honored Manfila with one of the highest awards in Mali, the chevalier de l’ordre national du Mali, for his role in the development of Malian music during the 1970s.