Balla Moussa Keïta
Encyclopedia
Balla Moussa Keïta was a Mali
an actor and comedian, and a West African cinema pioneer who was well known in the West (especially France
). Born in the Ségou Region
of Mali, he was originally a radio producer. He later turned to acting and acted in a number of movies by notable Mali directors like Cheick Oumar Sissoko
, Souleymane Cissé
and Abdoulaye Ascofaré
. Among his critically acclaimed roles are those of the tribal king Rouma Boll in Yeelen
and as Mambi] in Guimba, un tyrant, une époque. He received the Best Male Interpretation award at the FESPACO for his role in the Guinea
n film Séré, le témoin.
in 1934. Sent to school in Ségou
at eight, Keïta's formal education came to an end after primary school when he returned home to help his parents in farming. On the death of his father, Keïta moved to Bamako
to find work. Keïta initially worked as a middleman trader, buying fish and rice from Mopti
and Dioro and reselling them in Bamako.
In 1965, Keïta travelled to the People's Republic of China
with a Malian team to duplicate three films of socialist ideology in Bambara. The exercise lasted 5 months, but gave Keïta a valuable insight into film-making. He worked in his first film Den Muso, directed by Souleymane Cissé
, starting in 1970. He went on to star in numerous critically acclaimed films, and worked with most Malian directors of repute, and numerous other African filmmakers.
Keïta has also taught at the Institut national des arts (National Institute of the Arts) of Mali. He was awarded the Best Male Interpretation Award at the FESPACO for his role in the Guinea
n film Séré, le témoin in 1991.
partially due to heavy lifelong smoking habits, and is survived by ten children.
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
an actor and comedian, and a West African cinema pioneer who was well known in the West (especially France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). Born in the Ségou Region
Ségou Region
Ségou is the fourth most populous administrative region in Mali, whose capital is the town of Ségou.-Geography:Situated at the center of Mali, Ségou Region covers 64,947 km²...
of Mali, he was originally a radio producer. He later turned to acting and acted in a number of movies by notable Mali directors like Cheick Oumar Sissoko
Cheick Oumar Sissoko
Cheick Oumar Sissoko is a Malian film director and politician.-Biography:As a student in Paris, Cheick Oumar Sissoko obtained a DEA in African History and Sociology and a diploma in History and Cinema from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales...
, Souleymane Cissé
Souleymane Cissé
-Biography:Raised in a Muslim family, Souleymane Cissé was a passionate cinephile from childhood. He attended secondary school in Dakar, and returned to Mali in 1960 after national independence....
and Abdoulaye Ascofaré
Abdoulaye Ascofaré
Abdoulaye Ascofaré is a Malian poet and filmmaker.-Biography:Ascofaré was a radio host until 1978, at which point he became a teacher at the Institut National des Arts in Bamako...
. Among his critically acclaimed roles are those of the tribal king Rouma Boll in Yeelen
Yeelen
Yeelen is a 1987 Malian film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It is filmed in the Bambara and Fula languages, and is based on a legend told by the Bambara people...
and as Mambi] in Guimba, un tyrant, une époque. He received the Best Male Interpretation award at the FESPACO for his role in the Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n film Séré, le témoin.
Early life
Balla Moussa Keïta was born in Nango, Mali, a small village about 40 km from SégouSégou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
in 1934. Sent to school in Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
at eight, Keïta's formal education came to an end after primary school when he returned home to help his parents in farming. On the death of his father, Keïta moved to Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
to find work. Keïta initially worked as a middleman trader, buying fish and rice from Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
and Dioro and reselling them in Bamako.
Career
In 1960, he managed to obtain a job with the National Theater (then under the Haut Commissariat à la jeunesse - the High Commission for Youth). Under the auspices of the Commissariat, Keïta recorded his first radio broadcast for Malian radio in 1967. Initially, Keïta recorded short advisories on bush fires and conduct of drivers. This ultimately led to the weekly program "Prévention et Circulation routière (Prevention and Road Traffic). Keïta thus became a well-known voice on the radio, and was popularly known as "Balla Moussa". He lent voice to numerous radio shows and newscasts during this period. His voice talents were utilized by government organizations like the AMP (Agence malienne de publicité) and the ANIM (Agence nationale d'information du Mali).In 1965, Keïta travelled to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
with a Malian team to duplicate three films of socialist ideology in Bambara. The exercise lasted 5 months, but gave Keïta a valuable insight into film-making. He worked in his first film Den Muso, directed by Souleymane Cissé
Souleymane Cissé
-Biography:Raised in a Muslim family, Souleymane Cissé was a passionate cinephile from childhood. He attended secondary school in Dakar, and returned to Mali in 1960 after national independence....
, starting in 1970. He went on to star in numerous critically acclaimed films, and worked with most Malian directors of repute, and numerous other African filmmakers.
Keïta has also taught at the Institut national des arts (National Institute of the Arts) of Mali. He was awarded the Best Male Interpretation Award at the FESPACO for his role in the Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n film Séré, le témoin in 1991.
Death
He died in Bamako in 2001 of pulmonary emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
partially due to heavy lifelong smoking habits, and is survived by ten children.
Filmography
- 1975 : Den Muso, by Souleymane CisséSouleymane Cissé-Biography:Raised in a Muslim family, Souleymane Cissé was a passionate cinephile from childhood. He attended secondary school in Dakar, and returned to Mali in 1960 after national independence....
- 1978 : Baara, by Souleymane Cissé
- 1982 : FinyèThe Wind (1982 film)The Wind is a 1982 Malian drama film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Fousseyni Sissoko - Bah* Goundo Guissé - Batrou* Balla Moussa Keita - Le Gouverneur Sangaré...
, by Souleymane Cissé - 1987 : YeelenYeelenYeelen is a 1987 Malian film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It is filmed in the Bambara and Fula languages, and is based on a legend told by the Bambara people...
, by Souleymane Cissé - 1987 : Desebagato, by Emmanuel Sanon
- 1989 : Finzan, by Cheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar Sissoko is a Malian film director and politician.-Biography:As a student in Paris, Cheick Oumar Sissoko obtained a DEA in African History and Sociology and a diploma in History and Cinema from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales...
- 1990 : Séré, le témoin by Mohamed Dansogo Camara
- 1991 : Ta DonaFire! (1991 film)Fire! is a 1991 Malian drama film directed by Adama Drabo. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Djeneba Diawara - Koro* Mamadou Fomba* Balla Moussa Keita - Fakoro...
, by Adama DraboAdama DraboAdama Drabo was a Malian filmmaker and playwright.- Biography :Adama Drabo showed an interest in film since his childhood in the Malian capital of Bamako... - 1991 : Céline au Mali, by Monique Crouillère
- 1993 : Tiefing, by Djibril Kouyaté
- 1994 : L'Enfant Noir, by Laurent Chevallier
- 1995 : Guimba, un tyrant, une époque, by Cheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar Sissoko is a Malian film director and politician.-Biography:As a student in Paris, Cheick Oumar Sissoko obtained a DEA in African History and Sociology and a diploma in History and Cinema from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales...
- 1995 : WaatiWaatiWaati is a 1995 Malian drama film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Sidi Yaya Cissé - Solofa* Mariame Amerou Mohamed Dicko - Nandi at 6 years* Balla Moussa Keita - Teacher* Vusi Kunene...
, by Souleymane Cissé - 1996 : Macadam Tribu, by José Zeka Laplaine
- 1997 : Faraw, une Mère des Sables, by Abdoulaye AscofaréAbdoulaye AscofaréAbdoulaye Ascofaré is a Malian poet and filmmaker.-Biography:Ascofaré was a radio host until 1978, at which point he became a teacher at the Institut National des Arts in Bamako...
- 1999 : La GenèseGenesis (1999 film)Genesis is a 1999 French-Malian drama film directed by Cheick Oumar Sissoko. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Sotigui Kouyaté - Jacob* Salif Keita - Esau* Balla Moussa Keita - Hamor...
, by Cheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar Sissoko is a Malian film director and politician.-Biography:As a student in Paris, Cheick Oumar Sissoko obtained a DEA in African History and Sociology and a diploma in History and Cinema from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales... - 2000 : George WashingtonGeorge Washington (film)George Washington is a 2000 American drama film about a group of children in a depressed small town in North Carolina. The children band together to cover up a tragic mistake. The film is written and directed by David Gordon Green.-Plot:...
, by David Gordon GreenDavid Gordon GreenDavid Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He has directed dramas such as George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Snow Angels, as well as the thriller Undertow, all of which he wrote or co-wrote...
External links
- Obituary at allafrica.com