Much beloved in Mali, Boubacar "Kar Kar" Traoré represents a generation of African folk guitarists who emerged during the ‘60s. His playing helped define a distinctive style of Malian guitar music that's filled with drones, hammer-on ornamentations, and repeating riffs, techniques that draw heavily on the playing styles associated with traditional instruments like the ngoni and the kamale'ngoni djeliw. As with most Malian folk music, Traoré's songs span the gamut, addressing cultural and moral issues as well as the time-honored theme of love.