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Mali's Toumani Diabaté has played his kora--the 21-string harp/lute--with Taj Mahal, Peter Gabriel, Spain's flamenco-fusion band Ketama, the 52-piece, Japanese/Malian Symmetric Orchestra, and countless jazz musicians who have sought him out in Bamako where he lives. The select fraternity of West African kora players embrace Toumani as a prodigy--the prince of the kora- Diabaté comes from a long family tradition of kora players including his father Sidiki Diabaté, who recorded the first ever kora album in 1970. His family's oral tradition tells of 71 generations of musicians preceding him in a patrilineal line. His cousin Sona Maya Jobarteh is a premiere female diaspora kora player.
He developed a style of playing that, while being strongly rooted in the Malian tradition, is also open to a wide range of other influences, such as jazz and flamenco. He has subsequently sought out other musicians from around the world who are willing to experiment with him, even performing a concert in Amsterdam with a classical harpist. His 1989 debut, Kaira, made history as the first-ever solo kora album to be released. Stark, haunting, and full of breathtaking improvisational flourishes, it made him a star in his homeland and an in-demand performer internationally. In the same year, Songhai, a highly acclaimed collaboration between Diabaté, the Spanish flamenco group Ketama, and British jazz-folk bassist Danny Thompson, also released their acclaimed debut. Over the next six years, Diabaté performed at festivals and concerts all over the globe, doing much to broaden the appeal of the music of Mali, in general, and the kora, in particular.
In 1995, a second Songhai album was released, as well as Djelika, on which he led a group of musicians featuring Kélétigui Diabaté (a veteran master of the xylophone-like balafon and no relation to Toumani) and ngoni (a miniature guitar-like stringed instrument) player Basekou Kouyate. He concentrated on performing in Mali over the next few years, before releasing New Ancient Strings, his 1999 collaboration with fellow new-generation kora master Ballaké Sissoko. In the same year, the very highly acclaimed Kulanjan was released. This featured Diabaté, Sissoko, and other fellow Malians, including singer Kassé-Mady Diabaté in a "West Africa meets the blues" collaboration with U.S. guitarist Taj Mahal. To promote the album, these musicians toured internationally at the end of 1999.
September 2005, he released In the Heart of the Moon, for which he collaborated with the late Ali Farka Touré. The album went on to win the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album. On July 25, 2006 he released Boulevard de l'Indépendance, recorded with his Orchestra. This Symmetric Orchestra led by Toumani Diabaté is composed of musicians (mostly griots) from the across the old Mande Empire of west Africa, who play a mix of traditional instruments including the kora, djembe, balafon and bolombatto, as well as modern ones like the guitar and electronic keyboard.
Diabaté appeared in 2006 at the WOMAD Festival UK, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and at the Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary. In 2007 he performed at the Glastonbury Festival and toured the U.S.A.. In 2008, he was at WOM-ADelaide (in South Australia). In early 2008, Diabaté released his new album of solo Kora music, The Mande Variations, to widespread critical acclaim. Many reviewers praised the album for its detailed recording of the Kora and careful mastering, in addition to the improvisational skills and wide range of apparent influences displayed on the album.
Diabaté was chosen by Matt Groening to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2010 in Minehead. Diabaté also performed at Hay Festival in June. In July he performed at the Larmer Tree Festival to huge acclaim.
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In Toumani's 1995 recording, Djelika (named after his daughter), presents the young kora giant in a mostly-Malian context accompanied by a great elder of the wooden balaphone, Keletigui Diabate, a young lion of the banjo-like ngoni, Basekou Kouyate, and bassist Danny Thompson, a veteran of the Songhai session who adds tasteful underpinnings.The title cut is a jazzy piece that slyly quotes the soundtrack "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Keletogui sits out on "Cheick Oumar Bah," a traditional song in honor of one of Mali's spiritual leaders. It is thoughtful and dignified. "Kandjoura," on the other hand, is just fun, fast, and whimsical. It sounds like it's based on an Afro-pop song. The three musicians, each a virtuoso on his instrument, do a wonderful job providing sonic variety to keep the ear intrigued. Djelika is true African art music and should be sought out not only by fans of "world music," but also by aficionados of jazz and Western classical music.
Toumani Diabaté - Djelika (95 120mb)
1 Djelika 7:13
2 Mankoman Djan 5:22
3 Cheikh Oumar Bah 5:53
4 Marielle 7:02
5 Kandjoura 8:07
6 Aminata Santoro 6:43
7 Tony Vander 5:31
8 Sankoun Djabi 6:00
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A solo kora recital (his second, a follow-up to his 1988 debut recording Kaira) for Bamako's Toumani Diabaté seems like a snap, easily produced, and simply rendered. But the thought process prior to and during each piece speaks more on the background, orientation and experience that inspires him. Not all strictly a Mali or African dialect, he employs a variety of sources that directs this diverse program, which is far from simplistic or superficial. For instance, the beauteous ten and a half minute opener "Si Naani" uses an Egyptian tuning, is harp and Zen-like, cascading, expresses four Fula lineages, and goes from a love song to a griot tale. "Ali Farka Toure" for the deceased world music master is a fast, no-frills improvisation with no wasted space as the musician who it is played for fully expressed in his music. "Kaounding Cissoko" for Baaba Maal's late kora accompanist is playful, minimalist, layered, sounds overdubbed even though it is not, and is the most intricate piece on the CD. As much as the relaxed fluidity and natural ability of Diabaté is clear, please do not assume this music is laid-back, lacks spark, verve or energy.
Toumani Diabaté - The Mandé Variations ( 140mb)
Si Naani 10:29
Elyne Road 8:50
Ismael Drame 6:20
Kaounding Cissoko 6:47
Ali Farka Toure 5:45
Djourou Kara Nany 6:53
El Nabiyouna 6:03
Cantelowes 6:57
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