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Toumani Diabaté obituary
The Malian master of the kora who delighted in performing with musicians from other traditions and countries
The Malian musician Toumani Diabaté, who has died aged 58 after a short illness, was the undisputed master of the kora, the stately and stirring 21-stringed harp that is the most important classical instrument of west Africa. His exquisite, relaxed playing mixed the ancient and modern, as he switched from pieces that dated back hundreds of years to his own compositions that he said reflected influences ranging from other African artists to Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and Pink Floyd. The cast for a concert in the Queen Elizabeth Hall included Kouyaté, Sidiki Diabaté Sr, and his son Toumani – who stayed on in London for seven months, and in one afternoon recorded the first solo kora album, with no over-dubs.
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