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Diabate's Orchestra Showcases Sounds of Mali Toumani Diabate is a storyteller and musician known for his talents with the African harp, or, Kora. He teamed up with producer Nick Gold of Buena Vista Social Club fame to produce a CD that explores the varied styles found in Mali.

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Diabate's Orchestra Showcases Sounds of Mali

Heard on All Things Considered

Diabate's Orchestra Showcases Sounds of Mali

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Toumani Diabate is known for his melodies performed on the African harp, called a Kora. He can trace his family's involvement in music back 71 generations. Christina Jaspars hide caption

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Christina Jaspars

Toumani Diabate is known for his melodies performed on the African harp, called a Kora. He can trace his family's involvement in music back 71 generations.

Christina Jaspars

Three From Diabate

'Toumani'

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'Boulevard de L'Independence'

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'Mali Sadio'

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Toumani Diabate is a storyteller and musician known for his gorgeous melodies performed on the Kora, or African harp.

Diabate has recently teamed up with producer Nick Gold (of Buena Vista Social Club fame) to create a CD, Boulevard de L'Independance, with the Toumani Diabate Symmetric Orchestra.

From Senegalese Salsa to old Mande Empire standards, the album collects the various styles of music found in Mali.

Diabate talks about tracing his family's involvement in music back 71 generations. Producer Nick Gold talks about how Diabate's own music continues to evolve.