Toumani Diabate
(Website)
Born in 1965 into a family that boasts 70 generations of musicians, praise singers and griots, Toumani Diabaté has imposed himself as one of Mali’s most outstanding contemporary artists. His refined playing of the 21-string harp called the kora has attracted musicians as diverse as Taj Mahal, Peter Gabriel and Spain’s Ketama group. His international debut Kaira set the standards for the modern kora. Diabaté marked the 20th anniversary of this release with the The Mandé Variations, a powerful re-interpretation of classic Malian tunes.
Albums
Ali & Toumani
Label: World Circuit
Distribution in France: Harmonia Mundi
Release date: February 26, 2010
Recorded over three afternoons at Livingston Studios, London, in 2005, with contributions from Orlando ‘Cachaíto’ López on bass; produced by Nick Gold and beautifully recorded by Jerry Boys: This is the successor to the GRAMMY winning ‘In the Heart of the Moon’ and also the last album recorded by both Ali Farka Touré and Cachaíto López. Toumani Diabate comments: “I believe this album to be stronger and wiser, better than ‘In The Heart’”. In terms of the musical concept, of the arrangements, in the playing, we have invested ourselves totally. The idea was to make an album that was wiser, more gentle, an acoustic album that we could savor. Ali had a gift. He was a musical phenomenon, a pioneer, a teacher. I think that God created him for this purpose, with the mission to promote African culture, and especially the culture of Mali, but all over Africa and the whole world. He was unique in his context; a historian, a marabou, a healer. A multidimensional human being.
Toumani Diabaté and his band will play his interpretations of the music of Ali Farka Touré in a series of special concerts starting in April 2010.
“The sheer brilliance of their collaboration is bewildering.” The Times
The Mandé varations
Label: World Cicuit Records
Release date: February 01, 2008
The Mandé Variations breaks new ground for the kora in many ways, establishing this West African harp as one of the world’s great solo musical instruments. Superbly recorded so that we can hear every touch of the strings, every throb and creak of the instrument’s wood and sinew, it is an African classical album that rocks and swings, that has learnt from Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix, yet remains true to the Malian griot music that is its heritage. Toumani Diabaté, one of Africa’s most remarkable musicians, has produced at once the definitive statement of where the kora is today and one of the most beautiful and accessible albums you will hear.
Boulevard de l'indépendance
Label: World Circuit Records
Release date: April 01, 2006
Toumani Diabaté is one of the great figures in African music. This super-charged, traditional meets modern dance-band album unites the two sides of his remarkable musical personality – the virtuosic traditionalist and the restless innovator. Recorded in a series of all night sessions at Mali’s Hotel Mandé, it packs the fruit of ten years experimentation into some of the densest, punchiest, most richly textured music you’ll ever hear.
In the heart of the moon
Label: World circuit Records
Release date: June 01, 2005
In the Heart of the Moon is a unique album of duets from Ali Farka Toure (guitar) and Toumani Diabate (kora), two of Africa’s greatest musicians. It was recorded using a mobile studio in the Hotel Mandé, on the banks of the Niger River in Bamako, Mali. Also featuring contributions from Ry Cooder.
“The most beautiful music on earth.” MOJO
