Mamadou Diabate
Douga Mansa
World Village (www.worldvillagemusic.com)

Some recordings just keep getting the replay button. So it is with this satisfying hour's worth of sparkling kora melodies cascading from the fingers of Malian stylist Mamadou Diabate. Douga Mansa offers somewhat more traditional regional tunes than those on his earlier solo recording, the Grammy Award-nominated Dehmanka. Here, tribal and ethnic styles are coupled with his own innovations. The tunes contain coded histories that are the staple of the praise songs and historical narratives of the griot story tellers and singers who relate West African history and maintain traditions since the time of 13th century Manding King Junjata Keita to the present. The 21-stringed kora creates thematic grooves that Diabate uses to display his broad range of improvisational skill.

The musicians of Mali have for many years been at the forefront of the most accessible African music we hear. Whether Manding or Bambara, traditional or pop, West African styles bordering on the Sahara are a staple of our current music market; and while musicians like Ali Farka Toure and Salif Keita are not quite household names, they are among the most widely recognized. Diabate's kora magic places him among the best of the talent. Whether from its underlying riffs or the dazzling innovation, Douga Mansa is kora ready for prime time. - Dick Dorsett

The artist's web site: www.mamadoukora.com

CD available from cdRoots

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