Toumani Diabaté is a master and an icon of African music. Coming from a long line of Malian kora players (70 generations according to family legend), he has taken up the mantle, becoming the primary ambassador for the 21-string instrument whose cadences unlock the thousands of stories and myths emanating from Mandinka cultural history.
A modernizer, as well as a proponent of deep tradition, Toumani’s career has been characterized by the desire to share the kora across cultures and genres. He went from releasing the first solo kora album, Kaira, alongside British producer and ethnomusicologist Lucy Durán in 1988 to collaborating far and wide, cross-pollinating with the world’s most influential voices. Soon after Kaira, he founded the kora-meets-flamenco group Songhai and joined forces with the American bluesman Taj Mahal.
In the 2000s, Toumani continued in this spirit of exchange, working with the Blur and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn on an album in 2002 and with the genre-bending Icelandic artist Björk in 2007. At the same time, he has worked to enrich the Malian musical landscape through collaborations with the likes of Ballaké Sissoko, another giant of the kora; Ali Farka Touré, for the Grammy winning classic In the Heart of the Moon; and with The Symmetric Orchestra, a group composed of griot musicians from West Africa who blend traditional instruments like the kora, djembe and the balafon with electric keyboards and guitar.
Today, the kora can be heard in genres as far-reaching as hip hop, techno and reggae, a reality realised through Toumani’s influence. His spirit of inclusiveness and adventure align with Qwest TV’s mission to democratize and treasure the world’s rhythms and it is an honor to welcome him as Guest Curator. It will come as no surprise that his personal selection jumps between borders and styles, featuring Quincy Jones in a concert centered on jazz and funk, Gilberto Gil’s Brazilian mastery, Paco de Lucía representing Spanish flamenco, and Ravi Shankar from India. In terms of African artists, Papa Wemba hails from the Congo, Manu Dibango from Cameroon and Ali Farka Touré from his native Mali.
Toumani’s latest album, Kôrôlén, meaning “ancestral” in the Mandinka language, sees Toumani unite with the London Symphony Orchestra in a project commissioned by the Barbican Centre. The album brings together ancient griot melodies and European classical playing, placing them both on the same cultural pedestal and proving that intricate, sophisticated arrangements are not the preserve of the Western music tradition. Listen here.
Rowan Standish Hayes
