Enduring melodies: Malian kora legend Toumani Diabaté collaborated with the world

The untimely death of Mali’s Toumani Diabaté at the age of 58 has shocked the music world. The sheer number of tributes, including those from superstar African musicians Youssou N’Dour from Senegal and Salif Keita from Mali, is testament to the impact of Toumani’s mastery of the kora.

He played an immeasurable role in bringing the music of Mali and of the kora, the west African harp, to international audiences. He received many honours, including two Grammy Awards for his collaborations with Malian bluesman Ali Farka Touré.

As a musician and professor of music with a research focus on the kora, I knew and worked with Toumani. I was the music producer on seven of his albums. This is a personal tribute to a man who has left a legacy as enormous as the one he was born into.

Meeting Toumani Diabaté

In 1976 I travelled from London to Gambia to study with kora player Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, the great-uncle of Toumani Diabaté. I first went with him to visit Toumani’s family home in Bamako, Mali in 1986.

That same year the BBC was producing a classical music festival in London and wanted to include African music. The ensemble I put together for them included Toumani.Read more