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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Toumani Diabaté| image = Toumani Diabaté.jpg| caption = Toumani Diabaté describing the construction of the Kora (instrument)|kora during a performance at Afrofest 2007 in Toronto, Ontario| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1965|8|10| death_date =| origin = Mali | instrument = Kora (instrument)|Kora | genre = Mali Music , Pop music|Pop , World music | occupation = Musician | years_active = 1987–present| label = World Circuit (record label)|World Circuit | associated_acts =| website = http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate| notable_instruments = KoraToumani Diabaté (born August 10, 1965) is a Mali an Kora (instrument)|kora player. In addition to performing the traditional music of Mali , he has also been involved in cross-cultural collaborations with flamenco , blues , jazz , and other international styles.
Biography
Diabaté comes from a long family tradition of kora players including his father Sidiki Diabaté , who recorded the first ever kora album in 1970. His family's oral tradition tells of 71 generations of musicians preceding him in a patrilineal line. His cousin Sona Maya Jobarteh|Sona Jobarteh is the first female kora player to come from a Griot family.
In 1987, Diabate made his first appearance on an album in the UK, on Ba Togoma , an album featuring his father's ensemble. In 1988 Diabaté released his first album in the West, a solo album entitled Kaira , recorded in one afternoon in London and produced by Lucy Duran .
In addition to performing Malian traditional music, Diabaté has also performed and recorded in cross-cultural settings. He has collaborated with flamenco group Ketama , forming a combined group known as Songhai (musical collaboration)|Songhai and releasing two recordings: Songhai I and Songhai II . In 2006, Diabaté collaborated with American blues musician Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal on the release Kulanjan . "MALIcool" is a collaboration with American jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd . He also collaborated with the Iceland ic popular musician Björk on her 2007 album Volta (album)|Volta .
In 1999 Diabaté released the album New Ancient Strings , a collaboration with Ballake Sissoko and in September 2005, he released In the Heart of the Moon , for which he collaborated with Ali Farka Touré . The album went on to win the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album. On July 25, 2006 he released his latest album ''Boulevard de l'Indépendance, recorded with his Symmetric Orchestra. In the Heart of the Moon and Boulevard de l'Indépendance , are both part of the Hotel Mandé Sessions, recorded by Nick Gold and released on World Circuit (record label)|World Circuit Records . Both Boulevard and Hotel Mandé'' are references to landmarks in Mali's capital city, Bamako .
The Symmetric Orchestra led by Toumani Diabaté is composed of musicians (mostly griots )cite web |url= http://www.rfimusique.com/musiqueen/articles/076/article_7719.asp |title=Malian Music - Toumani Diabaté |publisher=RFI Musique |date=2006-04-07 |accessdate=2007-06-25 |author=Chabasseur, Eglantine from the across the old Mande Empire of west Africa , who play a mix of traditional instruments including the kora, djembe , balafon and bolombatto , as well as modern ones like the guitar and electronic keyboard .
Diabaté appeared in 2006 at the WOMAD Festival UK, Roskilde Festival in Denmark , and at the Sziget Festival in Budapest , Hungary . In 2007 he performed at the Glastonbury Festival and toured the U.S.A. . In 2008, he was at WOMADelaide (in Adelaide, South Australia ). http://www.womadelaide.com.au/line_up/artists_az/toumani.html WOMADelaide, site accessed 11 March 2008 In early 2008, Diabaté released his new album of solo Kora music, The Mande Variations , to widespread critical acclaim. Many reviewers praised the album for its detailed recording of the Kora and careful mastering, in addition to the improvisational skills and wide range of apparent influences displayed on the album.cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/d5xm/ |work=BBC Music |title=World Review - Toumani Diabaté, Mandé Variations |publisher=BBC |date=2008-02-20 |author=Lusk, Jon
In October 2008 the Arabic language lyrics in Diabaté's song Tapha Niang (from ''Boulevard de l'Indépendance ) were removed from the PlayStation 3 video game LittleBigPlanet , after it elicited objections from a Muslim individual due to their inclusion of verses from the Qur’an .cite web |url= http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/religious-outcry-sparks-littlebigrecall/1257227 |work=Yahoo& #33; Games |title=Religious outcry sparks LittleBigRecall |author=Smith, Mike |publisher=Yahoo Inc |date=2008-10-17 The publisher Sony Computer Entertainment Europe decided to delay the launch of the game by a week and recall most discs in order to replace the song with a lyric-free instrumental version. However, some copies of the original game had already been sold in the Middle East and United States.cite web |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7679151.stm |work=BBC News |title=Game delayed over Koran phrases |date=2008-10-20 |publisher=BBC
Diabaté was chosen by Matt Groening to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2010 in Minehead . Diabaté also performed at Hay Festival in June. In July he performed at the Larmer Tree Festival to huge acclaim.
2010 - Ali and Toumani - (World Circuit/Nonesuch Records) (with Ali Farka Touré )
2011 - A Curva da Cintura (with Arnaldo Antunes and Edgard Scandurra ) - Brazil
Filmography
Bamako Is a Miracle by Maurice Engler , Arnaud Robert and Samuel Chalard (Afro Blue, Geneva 2003).
Toumani Diabaté - Koraklänge aus dem Land der Flusspferde by Martina Pfaff (WDR, Cologne 2007).
References
reflist
External links
http://www.toumani-diabate.com/ Toumani Diabaté official website
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate Toumani Diabaté on the label website (worldcircuit.co.uk)
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate::Biography Official Toumani Diabaté biography
myspace|toumanidiabate
http://www.afropop.org/explore/photoFeature.php? ID=11 Afropop Worldwide Slideshow of Toumani Diabate Performing Live in Brooklyn (July 2007)
http://tpitman.blogspot.com/2007/08/kora-star.html The Kora Star (August 2007)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/oct/17/worldmusic 'Our music is older than Bach' - Interview in The Guardian (October 2008)
http://www.coraconnection.com/pages/Toumani.html Info on the kora & Toumani Diabaté
http://thenewcurrent.com/toumani-diabate/128/ Toumoani Diabante review in http://thenewcurrent.com/ The New Current
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate::Boulevard_de_lIndependance Making of ''Boulevard de L'Indépendance short documentary
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Toumani_Diabate::In_the_Heart_of_the_Moon Making of In the Heart of the Moon short documentary
http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2010/03/ali-toumani-review-plus-interview-with-toumani-diabate-free-download/ Ali and Toumani Review and interview with Tounami Diabaté| Folk Radio UK
Persondata | NAME = Diabate, Toumani | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1965-08-10 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Diabate, Toumani Category:1965 births Category:Kora players Category:Living people Category:Malian musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:World Circuit artists
