Mamadou Diabaté
Mamadou Diabaté | |
|---|---|
 Cover from Mamadou Diabate's albumHeritage | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mamadou Diabaté |
| Born | 1975 |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Kora |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Mamadou Diabaté(born 1975)[1]is aMalian musicianknown for his work with thekora.He began playing quite early in his life, became known as a musician in the area ofMaliin which he lived, and has since moved to the United States, recording several albums.
Life and career
[edit]Diabaté was born inKita,Mali, a town relatively near to Mali's capital ofBamako,known for its artistic and cultural prominence within theMandingcommunity ofWest Africa.[2]He was born into a family ofgriots,with his father, Djelimory n'fa Diabaté, also a kora musician and a member of the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali.[1][3]He began playing the kora, a 21-string instrument used extensively in West Africa, at a very young age, performing at various public events in his country and was becoming somewhat of a regional celebrity by that time as well.[3]
In 1996, he went on to travel with a group of the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali, and eventually settled in the United States.[3][4][5]Since his move to the US, Diabaté has performed with several musicians from the country, including jazz playersRandy Weston,Guy Davis,andDonald Byrd,as well as with a griot ensemble composed of musicians from Mali and the United States.[4][6]
His debut album,Tunga(2000), mixed West African music with blues and jazz influences.[4]A review inCMJ New Music Reportcommented on Diabate's "faster, nimbler style of kora playing".[7]The album featured bassists Cheick Barry andIra Coleman.[8]
In 2005, Diabaté was nominated for aGrammy Awardin the Traditional World Music Album category forBehmanka,but lost to the collaboration between his cousinToumani DiabatéandAli Farka Touré.[9][1][10]The album was described as a "dazzling duet for one" byThe Washington Post,[11]while Philip Van Vleck, reviewing it forBillboard,described it as "a feat of remarkable virtuosity".[12]
His third album,Heritage,was totally instrumental, again showing jazz influences.[1]His group at this time included Djkorya Mory Kante (guitar), Noah Barrett (bass), Baye Kouyati (callabash, talking drum), and Balia Kouyate (balafon).[10]ABillboardreview by Philip Van Vleck described it as "a gorgeous album loaded with music that evokes Mali's soul".[10]
His fourth solo album,Douga Mansa,a tribute to his father and grandfather, won the 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album.[2][9][13]Also in 2010, he was part of the world music trioDjan Djan,which included Bobby Singh, an Australiantablaplayer, andJeff Lang,an Australian slide guitarist.[14]
His fifth album,Courage,was recorded in Mali and released in 2011.[15]A review in theSeattle Post-Intelligencerdescribed it as "a truly remarkable disc of music and deserves to be considered equal to anything written or recorded by any composer or symphony orchestra in the rest of the world".[16]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Tunga |
|
— |
| Behmanka |
|
— |
| Heritage |
|
— |
| Douga Mansa |
|
— |
| Djan Djan (withBobby SinghandJeff Lang) |
|
— |
| Courage |
|
— |
| Griot Classique' |
|
— |
Awards and nominations
[edit]ARIA Music Awards
[edit]TheARIA Music Awardsis an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres ofAustralian music.They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Djan Djan (with Bobby Singh and Jeff Lang) |
Best World Music Album | Won | [17] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdLavaine, Bertrand (2007) "Mamadou DiabateHeritageArchived2014-10-21 at theWayback Machine",RFI music, March 12, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^abGesret, Céline (2010) "Mamadou Diabaté: "Si crees en tus decisiones, crees en tu destino"",La Vanguardia,July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^abcFink, Matt "Mamadou Diabate Biography",Allmusic.Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^abc"Mamadou Diabate delivers tradition with a taste of blues and jazz",Portland Press Herald,August 21, 2003, p. 13D
- ^Gaynell Patterson, KarinExpressions of Africa in Los Angeles Public Performance, 1781-1994,UMI Microform ref 3296731, pp. 319–320
- ^Rhythm,Volume 9 (2000), Issues 6-11, p. 96
- ^"Must Hear: Mamadou DiabateTunga",CMJ New Music Report,February 14, 2000, p. 27. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^Henderson, Alex "TungaReview",AllMusic.Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^abMenconi, David (2010) "Diabate gets a Grammy lift",News & Observer,February 1, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^abcVan Vleck, Philip (2006) "Mamadou DiabateHeritage",Billboard,November 25, 2006, p. 52. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^"Mamadou Diabate's Dazzling Duet for One",The Washington Post,December 31, 2005. Retrieved August 22, 2013, p. C05
- ^Van Vleck, Philip (2005) "Mamadou Diabate Behmanka",Billboard,June 25, 2005, p. 49. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^"Mamadou Diabaté llevará en marzo el ritmo de la kora a España",ABC.es, February 15, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^Elder, Bruce (15 March 2010). "When musical worlds collide, the sum shines brigh".Sydney Morning Herald.p. 10.
- ^"World Music Review: Mamadou DiabateArchived2014-01-02 at theWayback Machine",News & Observer,March 27, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^Marcus, Richard (2011) "Music Review: Mamadou Diabate - Courage",Seattle Post-Intelligencer,April 26, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- ^ARIA Award previous winners."ARIA Awards – Winners by Award – Best World Music Album".Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).Retrieved12 November2020.
