Toumani Diabaté RIP

[dark water]

Toumani Diabaté, who has died aged 58 on 19th July 2024 after a short illness, was one of the finest 'world musicians' of the past few decades; known as “the king of the kora”.

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Diabaté was well-known and loved all around the world; playing his instrument, forming ensembles and collaborating with many other musicians (such as Ali Farka Touré, Bjork and Damon Albarn) on albums and at festivals:





Although the kora had generally been played as an accompaniment to praise songs and storytelling, Diabaté believed passionately that it could rival the India sitar or the western piano as a solo instrument.

Toumani Diabaté was born in Gallé, a small town in south-western Mali, on August 10th 1965, into a family of griots – a caste of poets, musicians and storytellers – and could trace his family back through 70 generations of musicians.
His father was Sidiki Diabaté, the first “king of the kora” and a member of Mali’s National Instrumental Ensemble (Toumani insisted that he taught himself to play just by listening to his father); his mother was the singer Nene Koita. His younger brother, Mamadou Sidiki Diabaté, is also a master of the kora, while his cousin, Sona Jobarteh, was the first woman to play the instrument professionally.

In 1987, Toumani first appeared playing together with his father on the LP Ba Togoma, before recording the first of his solo albums Kaira (recorded during one afternoon) later that year.
Released on Joe Boyd’s Hannibal label, it made Diabaté’s name, and he soon began to spread his musical wings, teaming up in Madrid the following year with the Andalusian flamenco band Ketama, and the veteran folk and jazz double bassist Danny Thompson to record the album "Songhai".



In 1990 Diabaté formed the Symmetric Orchestra, drawing on musicians from across what had been the Mande empire centuries before, encompassing Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso as well as Mali; they continued to tour and record over the years.
Diabaté explored musical fusions throughout his career and in his later years, also performed with one of his sons (named Sidiki after Toumani's father).



I saw him at a WOMAD Festival about 20 years ago and the effect of his music was mesmerizing upon the audience (and me).

[D.H. Miltz]

RIP.

I've seen the name but never heard any of his music. Listening to this album now:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... rxEuTepgQV

Excellent stuff.