The kora virtuoso Toumani Diabaté has died at the age of fifty-eight. The New York Times has an obituary.
Here is a sample of his artistry, with the guitarist Ali Farka Touré. It’s the kind of performance that should go on forever, if it could.
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Toumani Diabeté (1965–2024)
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I realized when I was fishing through CDs this morning after I heard the news that I had one collaborative Toumani Diabaté record that I had forgotten about: Afrocubanism. The title puns on African-Cuban and cubism (hence the vaguely cubist artwork on the cover). The other participant whose name meant something to me was Eliades Ochoa from the Buena Vista Social Club. It's probably not the best intro to Toumani Diabaté but it's a very enjoyable record for its own sake.
ReplyDeleteI have his recording with Roswell Rudd — they do Monk’s ”Jackie-ing,” which suddenly sounds as if it were written for the kora. I think my son knows his collaboration it’s Bela Fleck.
ReplyDeleteI got to see Ballaké Sissoko earlier this year and just marveled at the sound and range of the kora. Truly orchestral.