Amadou Balaké, born Amadou Traoré on March 8, 1944, in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta), was one of his country's most popular singers and a legend of African music. His career spanned over fifty years, taking him across West Africa, as well as to New York and Paris. After moving to Ouagadougou as a child, he became interested in music and began his professional life in 1962, performing in orchestras across West Africa. He earned the name "Balaké" (meaning "porcupine" in Mandinka) after a hit song while he was with the Ouagadougou-based band Harmonie Voltaïque. He later became a vocalist for the Super Volta orchestra before forming Amadou Balaké and the 5 Consuls.
A versatile and dynamic musician, Balaké’s style was delightfully varied, fusing Mande and Mossi traditions from his home country with popular genres like Afro-Cuban music, salsa, funk, highlife, and Afrobeat. He was based in Abidjan and Paris for periods, but also traveled to New York in 1979 where he recorded two albums, including the classic Afro-Charanga featuring pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. His hit single "Taximan n'est pas gentil" earned him a golden record in Ivory Coast in 1982. In the year 2000, his international profile grew significantly when he was invited to join the Senegalese salsa supergroup Africando as a guest, later becoming an official member, recording four albums and touring widely with them. Balaké passed away on August 27, 2014, in Ouagadougou at the age of 70, with his final recordings released posthumously in 2015.