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Toumani Diabaté (1965-2024)
(Mali)
Biography
Toumani Diabaté is an extremely talented kora player
of the present-day generation. At the age of 21, he recorded a much acclaimed album
« Kaira », where he mixed the sound of this ancient 21 string instrument
with nowadays textures, without any other instrument or studio mixing nor
dubbing, just himself, the instrument and the microphone... But then again, his talent didn't come as a surprise, since his father,
the late Sidiki Diabate, has been known as le roi de la kora.
Subsequently, Toumani was called le prince de la kora.
In the early 1990s, he participated in the Songhai project, a collaboration with the Flamenco group Ketama, which resulted in two albums, « Songhai », and « Songhai 2 ».
His album « New Ancient Strings (nouvelles cordes anciennes) » is a re-interpretation of the album « cordes anciennes », recorded in 1970 by Sidiki Diabate (Toumani's father) and Djelimadi Sissoko (Ballake Sissoko's father). The music of that historic album is still played on national radio on important national holidays, such as Independence Day.
Toumani has recorded with many artists, and he made albums with Ali Farka Touré, and in 2014 with his son Sidiki Diabaté.
In the early 1990s, he participated in the Songhai project, a collaboration with the Flamenco group Ketama, which resulted in two albums, « Songhai », and « Songhai 2 ».
His album « New Ancient Strings (nouvelles cordes anciennes) » is a re-interpretation of the album « cordes anciennes », recorded in 1970 by Sidiki Diabate (Toumani's father) and Djelimadi Sissoko (Ballake Sissoko's father). The music of that historic album is still played on national radio on important national holidays, such as Independence Day.
Toumani has recorded with many artists, and he made albums with Ali Farka Touré, and in 2014 with his son Sidiki Diabaté.
Toumani Diabaté
• Musicians on New ancient strings:
Djelimoussa dit Ballake Sissoko kora
• Musicians on Djelika:
Bassekou Kouyaté (ngoni),
Keletigui Diabaté (bala)
Born: 1965, in Bamako
Style: instrumental kora music
Discography
Djelimoussa dit Ballake Sissoko kora
• Musicians on Djelika:
Bassekou Kouyaté (ngoni),
Keletigui Diabaté (bala)
Born: 1965, in Bamako
Style: instrumental kora music
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Toumani, Family & Friends | 2022 | Universal Music Africa | |
| Kôrôlén | 2021 | World Circuit WCD098 | Toumani Diabaté & The London Symphony Orchestra |
| Toumani & Sidiki EP | 2014 | World Circuit WCD087EP | 5-track download-only EP |
| Toumani & Sidiki | 2014 | World Circuit WCD087 | |
| Ali and Toumani | 2010 | World Circuit WCD083 | Recording session with Ali Farka Toure |
| King of the Kora: An Introduction | 2009 | Nascente NSDCD006 | Compilation album (1987-99) |
| The Mandé Variations | 2008 | World Circuit WCD 079 | Solo kora album |
| Boulevard de l'independance | 2006 | World Circuit WCD 074 | With his Symmetric Orchestra |
| In the Heart of the Moon | 2005 | World Circuit WCD 072 | Recording session with Ali Farka Toure |
| Malicool | 2003 | Sunnyside Records | With Roswell Rudd |
| Jarabi: The Best of Toumani Diabaté | 2002 | Hannibal HNCD 1462 | |
| Kulanjan | 1999 | Hannibal HNCD 1444 | With Taj Mahal |
| New Ancient Strings | 1999 | Hannibal HNCD 1428 (US: Rykodisc) | With Ballake Sissoko |
| Djelika | 1995 | Hannibal HNCD 1380 | Solo kora album |
| Kaira | 1987 | Hannibal HNCD 1338 | Solo kora album |
| Albums jointly made with Spanish flamenco group Ketama: | |||
| Songhai 2 | 1994 | Hannibal HNCD 1383 | With Ketama, Danny Thompson and José Soto |
| Songhai | 1988 | Hannibal HNCD 1323 | With Ketama, Danny Thompson and José Soto |
Sources
Page added January 2000