Shredding the Kora: Prince Diabaté and "Sabou"

A very happy Christmas to you today. Prince Diabaté performs today's song called Sabou. A griot from Guinea in West Africa, Diabaté's father was a kora player who broke tradition and also taught Diabaté's mother to play. Prince Diabaté gained proficiency by accompanying his parents to their concerts. He takes as inspiration traditional Mandingo and Malinké music, but he also borrows from reggae, rap, blues and funk. He has been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the kora," and he is responsible for creating the sound he calls Mandingo reggae. Sabou can be found on his 2006 album Djerelon.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Pride of Guinea: Bembeya Jazz National and "Sabou"

Happy New Year! Today's random tune to start your year off right is by Guinean group Bembeya Jazz National, which began as a government-sponsored regional band in southern Guinea. The group gained fame in the 1960s for their afro-pop and are considered an important group in Guinean music. Basing their music in Guinean folk, particularly Manding music, they infused the traditional with jazz and afro-pop styles. After launching the careers of many musicians, including Sekou Diabaté and Sekouba Bambino Diabaté, they disbanded in 1991. However, they reformed in 2002 and recorded their first album in fourteen years. Their importance in Guinean music history was also the subject of a documentary. This song, Sabou, can be found on their 2011 album Bembeya and on Disc 1 of the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music (2002).

Griot Reggae: Prince Diabaté and "Sabou"

Today's song, Sabou, is by Prince Diabaté, a griot from Guinea in West Africa. His father was a kora player who broke tradition and also taught Diabaté's mother to play, and Prince Diabaté gained proficiency by accompanying his parents to their concerts. He takes as inspiration traditional Mandingo and Malinké music, but he also borrows from reggae, rap, blues and funk. He has been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the kora," and he is responsible for creating the sound he calls Mandingo reggae. Sabou can be found on his 2006 album Djerelon.