BBC - Awards for World Music 2008

TOUMANI DIABATE & SYMMETRIC ORCHESTRA (Mali)

Toumani Diabate album cover

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The fact that three quarters of this year's nominees for Africa are from are one country is no accident. Music is Mali's main resource largely because of its position at the heart of the Mandé Empire, which was founded in 1235 and covered an area now occupied by several West African nations. The empire's power and wealth may be long gone, but its musical traditions have prevailed, handed down by the jelis, members of the music making caste.

Toumani Diabaté's jeli lineage stretches back 71 generations, and his Symmetric Orchestra are rebuilding the Mandé Empire through music with danceable, contemporary versions of its traditional repertoire.

Diabaté is without doubt the world's leading exponent of the kora, West Africa¹s 21-stringed answer to the harp; this is his second Radio 3 nomination. His international solo career began with the breathtaking solo kora recital Kaira (1987) and he has since revelled in a succession of daring cross-cultural collaborations. These have included two albums with the Spanish flamenco group Ketama, as'Songhai' (1988 and 1994), Kulanjan, the 1999 album with Taj Mahal, which explored the connections between the music of western Mali and the blues, and the adventurous MALIcool (2001) with American free jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd. He's also made guest appearances on albums by the likes of Salif Keita, Kassy Mady Diabaté, Damon Albarn and Björk. In The Heart Of The Moon (2004), was his gorgeous Grammy-winning duet album with the late great Ali Farka Touré, and The Mandé Variations (due for release in February 2008) brings his solo career full circle with another set of solo kora updates of Mandé classics.

So-called for the way they balance young and old, electric and acoustic, and modernity with tradition, Symmetric Orchestra actually made an album called Shake The Whole World back in 1992, but it was only ever released in Japan and Mali. For much of the time since, they've been resident at the Hogon club in Bamako, Mali's capital. Those lucky enough to attend would catch a cutting edge band with a fluid, shifting membership featuring musicians from as far afield as Senegal, Cote D'Ivoire and Guinea, sometimes including fellow nominee Bassekou Kouyate. The rest of us had to wait till 2006 for a series of incendiary live shows supporting their sophomore effort Boulevard de L'Independence, which duly won a Grammy.

Jon Lusk

http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate
CD Review on BBC Music

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anita bonan paris
excellent music , incredible virtuose i

E. J. Smith, Louisiana, USA
There is no comparison to the musical genius of Toumani Diabate for this coveted award.

David Bullock, Bath
I have just got back from seeing Toumani perform in Bristol. He possesses a rare musical intelligence and his playing is sublime.

Les Fry Bristol
Just watched an astonishing performance at St george's - amazing artist and a great advert for his continent.

Vla
Mali might be economically struggling but it's overflowing with culture and talent that no amount of money can buy! Toumani's contribution to that wonder is simply pure bliss!

Rutterkin - New Zealand
Leader,Ambassador,Teacher, Musician he had WOMAD NZ 2008 eating out of his hands.But dont forget Symentric Orchestra they simmered and boiled and had everyone doin the shimmy!

Norma Tenbury Wells
Have been listening for years this music is superb! Close your eyes relax listen to real beauty and spirit

Ty - Phoenix, AZ
This song was so full of energy! I found every beat so enjoyable and couldn't keep from dancing in my seat.

michael johnson
great band good luck