Toumani Diabaté

About Toumani Diabaté

Seventy-first generation kora player from a centuries-old jeli family, and the musician most responsible for moving the kora from a praise-singer's accompaniment instrument into a global concert stage solo voice. His 1988 album Kaira reset what the kora could do, and his collaborations with Ali Farka Touré (In the Heart of the Moon, 2005) and Björk and Damon Albarn extended his reach across decades. He died in Bamako in July 2024.