R.I.P. Toumani Diabaté

A eulogy in honour of the great West African kora player

Toumani Diabaté has died. He was 58. The great musician from Mali helped to put the music of West Africa on the world map via his dedication to the region’s most important, unique, and singular instrument - the kora, a gourd-shaped African harp.

It’s one of the great joys and luxuries and pleasures of my life that, through reviewing music for such a long time, I had the chance and time to discover so many great musicians; to have their music in my hands and in my ears. I say “discover”, and, you know what I mean…I wasn’t one of the people that signed Diabaté, I didn’t even hear his earliest recordings until much later. But some 20 years ago, as both a music retailer and reviewer, I was in the right place at the right time, and Diabaté’s albums New Ancient Strings (1999), and Kulanjan (1999), and Malicool (2002) came my way. And it was the perfect music for right then. And it’s still so perfect now.

Diabaté was able to trace his musicianship back across 71 generations. He came from the long lineage of musicians and took the music of the griots to concert halls all around the world. The kora is Africa’s most important classical instrument and Diabaté was sometimes referred to as “the Jimi Hendrix” of the instrument. He would move effortlessly from classical and folk pieces dating back hundreds of years, to his own brand new material, and covers of popular and soul music staples. He could weave bass lines and extra textures in across the 21 strings, sounding like a one-person orchestra.

There’s such beautiful tranquility to his playing. That of course remains. The music — so much of it — still here for us.

Diabaté suffered a short illness. And was taken from us too soon. His connection and commitment to the music from his homeland, and to furthering music by spreading it so widely, by being so open in his influences and open to influence, means that while he died far too young he gave us whole worlds of music to continue to discover.

R.I.P. Toumani Diabaté.