Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté "Ali & Toumani" (2010)

Ali & Toumani
release date: Feb. 23, 2010
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Nick Gold
label: World Circuit - nationality: Mali

2nd and final album for the collaboration work of Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. The album was actually recorded in June 2005 shortly after the release of the acclaimed In the Heart of the Moon (2005) but somehow the album wasn't released until 2010 - four years after the death of Touré.
The album follows closely in the footsteps laid out on the debut by partly containing traditional Mandé folk songs arranged by either of the two or together, and also songs composed by Diabaté and Touré. Altogether, Ali & Toumani is yet another beautiful collection of songs by these two wonderful artists.
[ Uncut Magazine review ]

Toumani Diabaté "The Mande Variations" (2008)

The Mande Variations
release date: Feb. 25, 2008
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Nick Gold
label: World Circuit - nationality: Mali

Track highlights: 1. "Si Naani" (4 / 5) - 2. "Elyne Road" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Ali Farka Toure" - 4. "Kaouding Cissoko" (4 / 5) - 5. "Ismael Drame" (4 / 5) - 6. "Djourou Kara Nany" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Cantelowes" (4 / 5)

Studio album by Toumani Diabaté released on World Circuit is a mighty fine solo album featuring Diabaté's wonderful kora play. The style is close to the collaboration works with Ali Farka Touré, which may also be seen in the reference in the homage track #3.

Toumani Diabaté "Boulevard de l'Indépendance" (2006)

Boulevard de l'Indépendance
release date: Jul. 25, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Nick Gold
label: World Circuit - nationality: Mali

Studio album by Toumani Diabaté released under the name of Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra is the third and final of three albums on World Circuit in the "Hotel Mandé Sessions" series initiated by the fabulous collaboration album In the Heart of the Moon (2005) by Ali Farka Touré and Diabaté - and like that, this is also produced by Nick Gold.
The music is energetic, full of drums and horns, and seems quite similar to that of another great Malian musician: Salif Keita. It's rather far from his works with Ali Farka Touré. Here the kora plays a secondary part as a rhythm and / or background instrument to orchestrated music featuring vocals, brass and traditional instruments of the Mandé folk tradition.

Best of 2005:Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté "In the Heart of the Moon" (2005)

2021 vinyl reissue

In the Heart of the Moon [debut]
release date: Sep. 13, 2005
format: cd / 2lp vinyl (2021 reissue)
[album rate: 5 / 5] [4,88]
producer: Nick Gold
label: World Circuit - nationality: Mali

Tracklist: 1. "Debe" (5 / 5) (live in Brussels) - 2. "Kala" (4 / 5) - 3. "Mamadou Boutiquier" (5 / 5) - 4. "Monsieur le Maire de Niafunké" (4 / 5) - 5. "Kaira" (4 / 5) - 6. "Simbo" - 7. "Ai Ga Bani" - 8. "Soumbou Ya Ya" - 9. "Naweye Toro" - 10. "Kadi Kadi" - 11. "Gomni" (4 / 5) - 12. "Hawa Dolo"

G R E A T! That's what this is. It's the collaboration debut by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté, two Malian musicians. The music is delicate, surreal and haunting. What rhythm, and what wonderful dreamy tunes these guys produce! Splendid music - and highly addictive. Play it when you drive to or from work, or just anywhere, when you read, or when you make love - just play it, and listen. It's extremely soothing for body and mind. I give it my warmest recommendations, and… I only need more of that kind! On this, Touré plays guitar and Diabeté plays the 21-stringed African kora, which is responsible for the spiderweb-like strings on this amazing release. The album received world-wide recognition and led to a World Live Tour with the two playing in Europe and USA.
Touré had been politically engaged and became mayor of the local town of Nianfunké in 2004, and although there are 25 years between these two musicians and they do sound as if having played together for years, when in fact the album was recorded without initial rehearsals and without Touré and Diabeté had played together for more than 3 hours in total over a span of 15 years.
Diabaté was 40 and Touré 65 years of age when this album was released, and most sadly, Touré died Mar. 2006 as a 66-year-old, only just experiencing the international acclaim this album was attributed. The album is the first in a series of three albums commonly known as the "Hotel Mandé Sessions" - the second would be Tourés last solo album Savane (released posthumously, Jul. 17, 2006) and Diabeté's Boulevard de l'Independence (credited Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra was released Jul. 25, 2006).

EDIT Jan. 2022:
I only just received a vinyl copy of the album. Alas, the album wasn't released on vinyl until 2012. The vendor sold it filed as a 2012 issue, but it turns out, it's a 2021 re-issue. Anyway, the album is for me a cornerstone in 'world music' and simply is one of those must-have releases I wish more people knew of.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

2005 Favourite releases: 1. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabeté In the Heart of the Moon - 2. Sigur Rós Takk... - 3. Kent Du & jag döden

original CD front

Hadja Kouyaté & Ali Boulo Santo "Manding-Ko" (2001)

Manding-Ko
release date: 2001
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Jeff Sharel, Frédéric Galliano
label Frikyiwa - nationality: Senegal

Studio album of Mandé folk music by vocalist Hadja Kouyaté and kora-instrumentalist and singer Ali Boulo Santo. The music is not far from that by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté, only I find this less mesmerizing, less musically vivid and simply less interesting.