School of excellence, symbol of the artistic and cultural unit of Mali, the national instrumental Ensemble is a monument of the Malian music. It has been for a long time the obliged passage towards an artistic career. Apart from Salif Kéita, Kar-Kar and Ali Farka Touré, almost all the Malian stars (Sidiki Diabaté and Batourou Sékou Kouyaté, Fanta Damba Koroba, Waldé Damba, Nantenendiè Kamissoko, Saranfing Kouyaté, Mogontafé Sacko, Orakya Kouyaté, Djelimadi Diabaté, Awa Dramé, Fanta Damba, Kandia Kouyaté, Amy Koïta, Tata Bambo Kouyaté, Dogomani Dagno, Bako Dagnon...) passed there. The history of a ensemble which brings honour to this country since its creation.

The national instrumental Ensemble (EINM) was the first formation created, in 1961, by the president Modibo Kéita, the charismatic father of the independence of Mali. His ambition was to emphasize the extraordinary cultural inheritance of the country. "The Ensemble has the role of prospecting, of indexing and of emphasizing the extraordinary heritage of Mali in the field of the music and of the song", explains its artistic director, M. Massambou Wélé Diallo.

The first director of the Ensemble, N'fa Bourama Sacko, was initially charged to recruit the most talented elements of each of the numerous traditions. It was then necessary to coordinate the various musical forms, to tune the instruments which did not use to rub shoulders, and to integrate the whole in a graduated spectacle; an arrangement contrary to the traditional performances where the improvisation makes law.
Floret of the artistic creativity of Mali, national pride, the group merges with the history of independent Mali. Indeed, from the official ceremonies of the great meetings to the celebration of the world Days (health, women, children...) passing by the Nights of solidarity and the official dinners, it is associated to all the great events of this country. The talent of these artists did not seduce only in Mali because the formation has had a great notoriety since the first years of its creation; a notoriety which shows through a huge prize list and several tours in Africa (Guinea-Conakry, Algeria, Niger, Libya, Ghana, Gambia, Senegal...), in Asia (China, Korea...), in Europe (France, Germany, Nederland, Switzerland, the ex-USSR...) and even in America (the United States...) to take part in prestigious festivals.

Succession of waves of talents

The history of the EINM started with virtuosities like Sidiki Diabaté, Batourou Sékou Kouyaté, Bréhima Kouyaté, Loutigui Diabaté, Solo Diabaté, Saran Kanouté, Fanta Damba Koroba, Waldé Damba, Nantenendiè Kamissoko, Saranfing Kouyaté, Mogontafé Sacko, Orakya Kouyaté, Djelimadi Diabaté. Many of these pioneers have today eclipsed from the scene of music or even of life.
Fortunately, that from the Seventies, they passed the torch and especially their enthusiasm for this noble and exciting mission to the new wave, also very talented, composed of Tata Bambo Kouyaté, Awa Dramé, Wandé Kouyaté, Amy Koïta, Kandia Kouyaté, Coumba Sidibé, Maïmouna Damba, Djéli Mady Sissoko... well-known Stars of the Malian music managed at the time by Harouna Barry who came from the company of Kayes to assume the technical direction.

In 1987, Harouna Barry passes the spectrum of artistic management to the maestro Massambou Wélé Diallo. The bachelor in music continues the saga with Babili Kanouté and Mamadou Kouyaté (Kora), Modibo Diabaté (Balafon), Binèfou Koïta (n'goni), Mamadou Diallo (flute), Mahamane Cissé (soku = violin), Siriman Sissoko (dundunba), Mohamed Tounkara (dundunba and djembé) and Abdoulaye Koné (n'tamani). The vocal section is animated by Nafissatou Maïga "Fissa", Souadou Soumano, Saranfing Kouyaté, Mbamakan Doumbia, Djénéba Doumbia, Bintou Sidibé, Adama Sacko, Amy Diabaté, Bintou Kouyaté and Diawoye Soumano. The technique is ensured by Youssouf Sissoko.

All these members of the EINM, which repertory is a clever synthesis of all the music style of Mali, are recruited through competition according to needs of the formation "We can for example need a Soninke singer or a Fulani flutist. We then organize a competition between the applicants and the best integrates the instrumental ensemble ", explains Massambou Wélé Diallo. Its members are mainly conventioneers. But, one finds also some contractual and three civil servant among which the artistic director "We recently organized a competition. The results are satisfying, almost all the members will soon have the Status of civil servant", promises Massambou.

Saga continues in a good manner. The rewards succeed to the tours which take their sources in original compositions. Last July, the instrumental Ensemble took part in the Festival of African culture of Kanilaï (native village of the president of Gambia, Yaya Djamet) from where it returned with a gold medal, one more international recognition before its unforgettable show in the Folkife Festival of Washington where Mali was the official guest this year.
In the EINM, the generations pass without allowing time to erode the specificity of the group which is the talent of the members and originality of the compositions inspired from the traditional sources of the culture of Mali. Let us guarantee that the future generations which already knock on the door of the Ensemble will be able to safeguard these primarily fundamental values.

Extract from "Instrumental Ensemble of Mali- An authentic artistic showcase" by Moussa Bolly.
Link : http://www.mali-music.com/Cat/CatE/EnsembleInstrumental.htm#MWD