The most mind-blowing message I ever received was from the multi Grammy winning, ground-breaking kora master, Toumani Diabate, in 2020. Recorded hours earlier in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa it was a live performance he made with his sons Ahmed Diabate and Balla Diabate to contribute to that year's virtual Ragas Live Festival. "Was it ok?" He asked.
OK? It was astounding!
In this special episode we celebrate the life of Toumani Diabate by sharing the behind the scenes messages behind this miraculous recording that almost never happened. Toumani Diabate's ancestors became musicians in the 13th century and stayed in an unbroken line of griots, or djeles of the Manding empire. He was a 71st generation musician. More than any other Kora player he brought his instrument to the world and touched millions of hearts.
Here are some essential recordings to get you started: Kaira New Ancient Strings with Ballaké Sissoko Ali and Toumani (with Ali Farka Toure) Kulanjan (with Taj Mahal)
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.