Kora player stretches Malian string tradition

The 21-stringed kora is a fascinating musical instrument, not just for it’s distinctive sound, but also for the ingenuity of a large calabash covered with cowhide as a resonator. Here is an instrument that is uniquely West African and represents a powerful cultural symbol, passed from one generation of male singers, known as jeli (or griot in French), to the next.

Students of music at the Bamako Conservancy make a ritual offering of kola nuts as a mark of respect before touching the kora for the first time. Besides reverence, it also attracts superstition as it is said that playing the kora after midnight risks incurring the wrath of evil spirits.

This is not just an instrument; for many players, it is the spiritual accompaniment to their deepest thoughts on life, religion, politics and culture.

It is thanks in no small part to this instrument that Mali continues to produce some of the most exciting and internationally recognised musical cultures in the world.

As his second name suggests, Mamadou Diabate hails from a family of musical royalty among the Manding people of Mali who once ruled over much of West Africa. His father played in the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali; his cousin Toumani has enjoyed worldwide success as the uncontested master of the kora, in a lineage stretching back to the 13th century during the reign of the fabled Emperor Sudjata Keita.

Young Mamadou picked up the same skills at a time when he should have been in school, but was instead completely absorbed in the enchanting melodies of the kora.

Tall griot
When he was 15, he won the first prize for his wizardry on the kora in a regional competition and within no time was taken under the mentorship of his cousin, the legendary Toumani Diabate in Bamako. In fact, it was Toumani who gave Mamadou the nickname Tall Griot, a reference to his imposing physique.

His international breakthrough came in 1996 when he toured the United States with the same group that his father played in. Mamadou has lived in New York since that first visit and is often seen on stage along with visiting Malian stars like Amy Koita, Tata Bambo Kouyate and Babani Loite.

His musical adventure has led him to work with diverse artistes, from Zimbabwe’s Thomas Mapfumo to Benin’s Angelique Kidjo. A fascinating album called Strings Tradition in 2008 brought together three different string players from three different musical traditions: Mamadou Diabate on kora, Shujaat Khan playing sitar and Lalgudi GJR Krishnan on violin.

His last album Douga Mansa won a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Traditional Album. Unlike the last album, which was a solo effort, the new CD titled Courage has a more contemporary edge and features an ensemble of other Malian musicians. Abou Sissoko plays the ngoni (the banjo), Lansana Fode Diabate on balaphone (a kind of xylophone) and Adama Diarra on the djembe (the drum).

“This new album is purely contemporary,” says Diabate,” Some songs here have never been played by a kora before. We don’t let tradition go, but we are modern musicians today.”

It is hard to believe that most of the sounds you hear are often being made in real time on one instrument. Diabate switches the kora back and forth from sounding like an acoustic guitar to a harp with amazing ease. The music is rhythmically and melodically complex, but also accessible. His playing could just as easily be appreciated by fans of classical and jazz, as it could be by lovers of African roots music.

Complex interplay
The album is as diverse thematically as it is technically with the kora accompanied by the balafon in a dynamic interplay. A subdued bass guitar is the only other instrument appearing from time to time on the album whose tracks contain no vocals. Essentially, the instruments ‘sing’ in their own unique way

The first tune on the album Yaka Yaka has a personal ring as it is dedicated to his mother while others are more socially conscious like Humanity, which expresses concern for the troubles of the world. If you are looking for a song on this album with a complex inter-play between the kora and the balafon then skip to Kita Djely, while the sweet Dafina is a dedication to his wife

Diabate is an unquestioned master of his instrument, and his dexterity serves to make this an absolute delight for anyone who has the album.

Two of the tracks are based on traditional tunes and the rest are Diabate’s original compositions. He arranges all 11 songs in a seamless fashion that allows for the broad range of instruments to shine through.

Welcome Home gives the virtuoso the chance to showcase his ability to make his instrument sound like a jazz or rock guitarist. One imagines that here is the piano, guitar and xylophone all playing at the same time.
Diabate caresses the strings of the kora more than he plucks them, and his notes are very comfortable and easy on the ear. “I am the only kora player who can record songs in six different keys on the same album,” he says. “You have to change and be versatile to understand each string on the instrument.”

The multi-stringed kora is said to be an instrument that can never be fully mastered and Diabate has stuck to his father’s advice to listen to all the best players and to learn from each one.

The music incorporates elements of jazz, classical and the blues. Experimentation comes easy to this family of kora players. Toumani Diabate has fused the kora with flamenco, classical Indian music and even rap. His 2005 collaboration with the late King of African blues, Ali Farka Toure for the Grammy Award winning album In the Heart of The Moon was a successful blend of two musical traditions previously considered incompatible.

Mamadou Diabate latest masterpiece was recorded in Bamako, Mali with old friends and his American band’s bassist Noah Jarrett. The more one listens to this album, the more it becomes clear that this is a deep and timeless collection of songs.