The Conversation

Mali’s maestro of African salsa: how Boncana Maïga shaped dance music

The passing of celebrated Malian flautist, composer and arranger Boncana Maïga at the age of 77 truly marks the end of an era in the music of west Africa. He was a charismatic performer and bandleader ...
Time

Mali's Legendary Musicians Struggle to Be Heard in the Shadow of War

GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 01: Salif Keita performs on stage during the Celtic Connections festival at The Old Fruit Market on February 1, 2013 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross ...
The Conversation

Toumani Diabaté: the famed musician from Mali who took the kora to the world

The world has lost a significant musical ambassador for the Mande people of west Africa – the virtuoso kora player, composer, and collaborator from Mali, Toumani Diabaté. He died on 19 July, just ...
The Washington Post

Toumani Diabaté, world music master of Mali’s stringed kora, dies at 58

Toumani Diabaté, a Malian virtuoso of a 21-string instrument known as the kora, who brought a rich West African musical legacy to audiences around the world with genre-mixing collaborations ranging ...
The New York Times

Toumani Diabaté, Malian Master of the Kora, Is Dead at 58

He believed that music could transcend national borders set by colonialism and restore ancient ties, even as it embraced the changes of a globalizing society. By Giovanni Russonello Toumani Diabaté, a ...
CNN

Why Africa’s global music boom still leaves much of the continent unheard

When people say African music is having a “global moment,” they are often talking about only a small part of the continent. “Nigeria and South Africa are dominating the most,” said Tuma Basa, ...