Music For Peace & Harmony
Toumani and his son are the 71st and 72nd generations of kora players. They are "griots" and are professional bards, keepers of Malian musical tradition as well as powerful and trusted advisors of Mandé leaders. They are responsible to carry on the playing of the kora now and for the future as its has been done for so many centuries. The kora is a 21 string instrument, a unique harp-lute with a notched wooden bridge. It is perhaps the most complex chord instrument of Africa. The music is not written, and one can only wonder how it would be possible to write, so is carried on from one to another by heart and soul.
In these times of terrible actions in Mali and around the world, Toumani and Sidiki demonstrate how peace and harmony can be the achieved through music. Music that has been around longer than the current borders of West African nations, when the Mandé people were part of a great empire.
Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté create music that is one of the most
beautiful sounds that I have personally heard. Having seen and recorded a
multitude of musicians, this performance was one of the most
astonishing surprises. A must see live, as Toumani and Sidiki are in a
sort of magical spiritual harmony when on stage. Let's hope that the music of Toumani and Sidiki will help soothe some of the pains of Mali.