Obituary,
Toumani Diabaté (1965-2024)
Toumani Diabaté, the renowned Malian kora player and one of the most influential musicians in contemporary West African music, passed away on 19th July at the age of 58 after a brief illness. His death was confirmed by his family over the weekend. Diabaté was celebrated worldwide for his mastery of the African stringed instrument, and for his contributions to sharing Malian music and culture across the globe.
Born on 10th August, 1965, in Bamako, Diabaté came from a healthy line of kora players. For 71 generations, his family maintained the griot tradition of long-established West African storytellers, musicians and oral historians. His father, Sidiki Diabaté, was also a distinguished kora player and a significant influence on his musical development. Diabaté's music fused traditional Malian sounds with influences from other genres, including jazz, blues and flamenco. His technical skill was widely recognised, and he was known for his ability to innovate while respecting traditional forms.
Toumani began playing the kora at a young age, quickly gaining recognition for his remarkable virtuosity. He released his first album, Kaira, in 1988, which showcased his exceptional skill and deep understanding of the traditional music of his home. This album was groundbreaking as it was the first to be recorded with only a single kora, without any other accompanying instruments.
Diabaté's career was marked by numerous collaborations with international artists, blending traditional Malian music with other global genres. He worked with blues musician Taj Mahal on the album Kulanjan (1999), which helped introduce the kora to a broader audience. His collaboration with the late Ali Farka Touré on the albums In the Heart of the Moon (2005) and Ali and Toumani (2010) won critical acclaim for the pair – including two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2006 and 2011, respectively. He also collaborated over the course of his career with artists such as Icelandic singer Björk, British musician Damon Albarn and American banjo player Béla Fleck. These partnerships highlighted his versatility and stunning ability to adapt the kora to different musical contexts. Not only a performer but also an ambassador for Malian culture, he played a significant role in preserving and promoting his instrument along with traditional Malian music. His efforts brought global attention to the country’s rich musical traditions, influencing many young musicians worldwide.
Diabaté's discography includes solo works, collaborative projects and recordings with his Symmetric Orchestra, a group that brought together musicians from across the Mande-speaking regions of West Africa. Some notable albums include The Mandé Variations (2008), Toumani & Sidiki (2014), a Songlines Music Award-winning collaboration with his son Sidiki Diabaté, and The Ripple Effect (2020) with Fleck.
Diabaté leaves behind a rich musical legacy through his recordings and his family. His son, Sidiki, continues the family tradition as a kora player and musician, ensuring that the Diabaté musical heritage will endure. He will be remembered as a bridge between traditional and modern music, who brought the sound of the kora to audiences far beyond his West African origins.
Explore some of our favourite recordings from the late griot master...
This era-defining recording made between the two most famous practitioners of the instrument has been lovingly remastered for its silver anniversary. A stunning dialogue of far-reaching proportions, its potent legacy still holds strong to this day.
Available Format: CD
A slice of solo perfection, this recording sees Diabaté return to what he does best. Having been the first performer to record an album of solo kora music, he was truly an expert in the field, and this album is no less impressive in its emotional scope.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV
Released posthumously following Touré’s death in 2006, this album marks the second collaboration between two legendary West African artists and the final recording Farka ever made. It aims to encapsulate the Malian guitarist’s four-decade career, featuring 'Sina Mory,' the first song he ever heard played on the instrument.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV
The kind of global music project dreams are made on, this timely release saw the coming together of some of the greatest musicians either side of the Atlantic. After snubbing the original meeting of the Buena Vista Social Club in 1996, Diabaté proves it’s all water under the bridge, putting the ‘Afro’ back in Afro-Cuban for this setlist of authentic, cross-cultural wonders.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV
In his family of griots, their musical storytelling tradition has survived by being passed down through generation to generation, and Diabaté’s life-long work was no exception. Teaming up with his son, Sidiki, the duo engage in a sophisticated and historic series of duets, with each musician’s performance mixed separately down the left and right audio channels.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV
A once-in-a-generation collaboration saw the kora master appear alongside the LSO for this soul-stirring performance, recorded live at the orchestra’s Barbican home in 2008. Expect the unexpected as Diabaté demonstrates his profound ability to surprise listeners, stumping critics who attempt to pigeonhole his polished sound.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV
For the final duo performance released during his lifetime, the Malian icon once again chose to expand beyond his limitations. Composed of sublime interwoven melodies and accompaniment, his outing with Iranian kamanchist Kalhor from last year revealed just how privileged we are to have existed at the same time as these gifted kings of strings, who each embody their instruments' courtly history with a trance-like quality.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC/ALAC/WAV
Barney Whittaker
