Mali

Coordinates: 17°N 4°W / 17°N 4°W / 17; -4

Mali (ⁱ/ˈmɑːli/; French: [maˈli]), officially the Republic of Mali (French: République du Mali), is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi). The population of Mali is 14.5 million. Its capital is Bamako. Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert, while the country's southern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. The country's economy centers on agriculture and fishing. Some of Mali's prominent natural resources include gold, being the third largest producer of gold in the African continent, and salt. About half the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 (U.S.) a day. A majority of the population (55%) are non-denominational Muslims.

Present-day Mali was once part of three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire (for which Mali is named), and the Songhai Empire. During its golden age, there was a flourishing of mathematics, astronomy, literature, and art. At its peak in 1300, the Mali Empire covered an area about twice the size of modern-day France and stretched to the west coast of Africa. In the late 19th century, during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali, making it a part of French Sudan. French Sudan (then known as the Sudanese Republic) joined with Senegal in 1959, achieving independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. Shortly thereafter, following Senegal's withdrawal from the federation, the Sudanese Republic declared itself the independent Republic of Mali. After a long period of one-party rule, a coup in 1991 led to the writing of a new constitution and the establishment of Mali as a democratic, multi-party state.

Road racing (disambiguation)

Road racing may refer to:

Pépé Kallé

Pépé Kallé, sometimes written as Pepe Kalle (November 30, 1951 – November 28, 1998) was a soukous singer, musician and bandleader from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pépé Kallé was born Kabasele Yampanya in Kinshasa (then Léopoldville) in the Belgian Congo, but later assumed his pseudonym in hommage to his mentor, Le Grand Kallé.

With a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence, the 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) and 136 kg (300 lb) vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums during his two decade-long career. Known affectionately as "the elephant of African music" and "La Bombe Atomique," Kallé entertained audiences with his robust performances.

Musical career

His musical career started with l'African Jazz, the band of Le Grand Kallé. He later performed in Bella Bella and became the lead singer of Lipua Lipua, where he sang alongside Nyboma Mwandido. In 1972, Kallé along with Dilu Dilumona and Papy Tex, left Lipua Lipua to form their own band named Empire Bakuba. Empire Bakuba took its name from a Congolese warrior tribe, and it pointedly incorporated rootsy rhythms from the interior, sounds that had long been sidelined by popular rumba. The band was an instant hit, and together with Zaiko Langa Langa they became Kinshasa's most popular youth band. With hits such as Pépé Kallé's Dadou and Papy Tex's Sango ya mawa, the band was a constant fixture on the charts. They also created a new dance, the kwassa kwassa.

Empire Bakuba

Empire Bakuba is an influential soukous band that formed in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1972. The name of the band refers to the Bakuba Kingdom; it is sometimes reported as Empire Bakuba du Grand Kalle, in honor of Grand Kalle, the "father of Congolese music", who was also bandleader Pepe Kalle's mentor. The band has never formally disbanded, although its activity has been scarce since Pepe Kalle's death (in 1998).

Core members of the group include singers Pepe Kalle, "Papy Tex" Matolu Dode and Dilu Dilumona, guitarists "Boeing 737" Kinanga Nanzao and "Doris" Ebuya Lange and the dancer "Emoro" Tumba Ayila.

History

Empire Bakuba was founded in 1972 by Pepe Kalle, Papy Tex and Dilu Dilumona, who were all at the time members of Lipua Lipua and had previously been part of neighbourhood band African Choc. They quickly established themselves as one of the leading youth bands of Kinshasa, becoming a constant presence in the Congolese charts and a major part of the soukous scene in the 1970s and 1980s.

Tune Up!

Tune Up! was a German Eurodance group consisting of DJ Manian (Manuel Reuter) and Yann Pfeiffer (also known as Yanou), the same team as Cascada. Markus Beilke (aka Triffid) was an early member of the group, but left shortly after its conception. The group is known for their songs "Raver's Fantasy", "Bounce", and "Another Day". They also remix and collaborate on songs by other artists. According to their MySpace page, they have separated and are no longer a band. However, DJ Manian and Yanou continue to work together in Cascada and countless other projects. On October 22, 2010 Zooland Records released Ravers Fantasy (The Album) which contains all their work until their breakup containing a total of 43 songs on iTunes.

Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

See also

References

External links