Amadou Ousmane Ali

While on tour with Mdou Moctar in 2018 and 2019 we were listening to a lot of different music in the van. Everything from autotune Tuareg music from Niger, Mali, and Algeria, to Celine Dion. There was also this 2 minute field recording Mdou had on his phone. We played this short recording almost everyday while in the van on our 2019 Europe tour. Who was this person? What was this instrument?

This person to us was Mai Molo. In Hausa Mai Molo means the Molo player. A Molo is a guard instrument similar to the Ngoni but deeper in tone than the higher pitched Ngoni’s I’m used to in Bambara music or Takamba music. We were obsessed with the recording. We wanted more!

While in Niger in 2021 I mentioned to Mdou ‘Do you remember that Mai Molo recording? Where does Mai Molo live?’ Unbeknownst to the group, Mdou made some calls. 6 hours later Mai Molo rolls up! He unpacked his Molo and started playing and singing. We were so excited and moved that we found Mai Molo! He spent the night at the house we were staying at, talking, playing music, and drinking tea with us. The next morning I set up a few mics and recorded him playing and singing. I got the chills. I teared up by the beauty of his music. I was in a trance.

When we started talking about Purplish I knew this was a record I wanted to release. People needed to hear this but there was one important thing I forgot to ask. What’s Mai Molo’s real name?! I called Mdou and he said ‘ok I’ll make some calls’. 2 months later, many phone calls, and even Mdou sending a friend to the outskirts of Niamey to track him down, we found him. I’m so excited to share the record of a person I’ve been obsessed with, Amadou Ousmane Ali.