Producer Lucy Duràn recounts the mesmerizing story of Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko’s duelling kora masterpiece, recorded in the halls of Mali’s Palais de Congrès, in honor of the two’s patrilineal heritage.

Let’s take a few tours and detours all over the continent to discover some of its guitar masters. To hear them at their best you often have to wait until the 1st verse or chorus is over; wait for the song to bloom and for the guitarist to rise.

Toumani Diabaté has joined forces with the London Symphony Orchestra for the album Kôrôlén, a sumptuous blend of kora and classical music. “Kôrôlén” means “ancestral” in the Mandingo family of languages. The term is therefore […]

Though there was no ceremony, the great songstress of Malian music has been presented with the French Sacem Grand Prix by singer Aya Nakamura for her acoustic album that blended modern vocals with traditional instruments. […]

Forced to flee the crisis in the north of Mali, these “children of the country” met in refugee camps in 2012. It was the music of their Tamasheq culture, part of Mali’s cultural heritage, that […]

Abdoulaye Koné, aka Kandiafa, unveils a new track from his forthcoming third album entitled PLANTING TREES, imagined as a return to the roots of his instrument. After having mixed Mandingo culture with country music in […]

The label No Format! announces the release of an exclusive album by Oumou Sangaré, called “Acoustic”. It was recorded under live conditions where the purity of her voice and that of the instruments shine through. The album will be released on June 19th.

“Dankélé” is the new clip from Bamba Wassoulou Groove’s eponymous album, which will be released on March 27th. Formed in 2013 in Bamako, the group is composed of six musicians (three guitars, a bass, drums, and […]