Mamadou Diabate

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #134 (February/March 2008).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Mamadou Diabate

Sustaining an Ancient Musical Tradition in the New World

by Philip Van Vleck

Mamadou Diabate is a native of the West African nation of Mali and one of the finest kora players in the world. Given his growing status in the
world-music scene, one would expect to find Diabate living the life of a celebrated musician in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. Instead, he's been living in the United States for years. He currently resides in Durham, North Carolina, and has recorded three albums in the United States.

His most recent recording project, Heritage [World Village], was released in 2006. Working with his group -- Djikoryam Mory Kante (guitar), Noah Jarrett (bass), Baye Kouyaté (calabash and talking drum), and Bala Kouyaté (balafon) -- Diabate laid down 12 songs, integrating tunes from the traditional Malian repertoire with original songs. The CD is at once evocative of the traditional kora music of Mali and an imaginative fusion of this tradition with contemporary sensibilities that range from folk to jazz.

The album that preceded Heritage, Behmanka [World Village], highlighted the other half of Diabate's life as a musician. Behmanka is a solo performance. Diabate drew on music his father -- the famous Malian kora player Djelimory Diabate -- taught him when Mamadou was younger. The CD is homage to the traditional kora music of Mali. Mamadou also wrote songs in the traditional style for Behmanka, which emphasize his thorough grasp of the traditional mode of composition.

Diabate's virtuosity on the kora is vivid throughout the album. He combines technical skill with a keen sense of melody and a tremendous improvisational range. Behmanka is an artistic statement, as well -- an early masterwork from a musician who has already reached a level of excellence on his instrument.

During a recent conversation, Diabate spoke about both Heritage and Behmanka. "Heritage is about making my own contemporary way and to combine it with my tradition," he explained. "I want to show people how I can go from Behmanka to Heritage. Also, the way I play the kora is different with an ensemble than by myself. With my band I don't use a full kora sound. Also, I'm using a different technique of improvisation than I use on traditional songs."

[cover #134]