Golden: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Kala"

Today's song is performed by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others. This song, Kala, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005). The song's title refers to the name of a village in the Manding Empire known for its gold.

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.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Farka_Tour%C3%A9; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toumani_Diabat%C3%A9

But I Want to Samba Today: Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal with "Samba Tomora"

Today's random tune is called Samba Tomora and is performed by Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Ségal. A well-regarded player of the kora, Malian Ballaké Sissoko is the son of renowned griot Djelimady Sissoko. Those born into the griot caste learn music a young age, and Sissoko is no exception - he taught himself kora by watching his father. He has collaborated with Toumani Diabaté, Taj Mahal, and Vincent Ségal with whom he has done three albums. Vincent Ségal, from France, is a cellist and bassist who is known for his interesting collaborations with artists as varied as Elvis Costello, Blackalicious, Cesaria Evora, Sting and others. He is also the co-founder of the down-tempo electronica band Bumcello, with which he won France's prestigious Victoires de la Musique and was named France's Electronic Musician of the Year in 2006. Samba Tomora can be found on Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Ségal's 2015 album Musique de Nuit.

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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballak%C3%A9_Sissoko; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_S%C3%A9gal

Fula Good Stuff: Prince Diabaté and "Fulbe Fouta"

Today's random song, Fulbe Fouta, is performed by Prince Diabaté. 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. His father initially disapproved of Diabaté's interest in music, but when former Guinean President Sekou Touré came to his hometown, the eight year old threw himself at the former president's feet with his kora and played a song for him. The former president was so touched that he became Diabaté's benefactor and enrolled him into the National Children's Theatre. At 16, Diabaté first heard cassettes of Jim Hendrix in the Ivory Coast, and was so inspired he entered an international kora competition where he won first prize and earned the nickname "Prince of the kora." 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. Fulbe Fouta can be found on his 2006 album Djerelon. The song is traditional of the Fula people.

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.

Source: http://www.princediabate.com/; http://africanmusic.org/artists/pdiabate.html

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.

Hendrix of the Kora: Prince Diabaté and "Horoya"

Our random song for today is called Horoya and is sung 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. At age 16, he braved outraged soldiers and his own fear to throw himself with his kora at the feet of Guinea's president to play a special song for him - the touched president personally sponsored his musical education. Diabaté 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. Horoya 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.

Griot with Gravy: Diabel Cissokho and Ramon Goose with "Totoumo"

Hello! Today's random tune is Totoumo, by Diabel Cissokho & Ramon Goose. Cissokho is a Senegalese musician from a griot family who had an early musical pedigree with his family's band Bannaya. He has served as Baaba Maal's kora player, as well as many other acclaimed musicians. He now partners with bluesman Ramon Goose, an English guitarist, singer and producer known for his West African Blues Project and the hip hop band NuBlues. He is a master of the slide guitar, and has produced a number of other blues recording artists such as Boo Boo Davis. You can find Totoumo on their album Mansana Blues (2010) and on the compilation album Putumayo Presents: African Blues (2012)

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.

Tolerance: Youssou N'Dour and "Touba - Daru Salaam"

Today's random tune is by a legendary African musician. Youssou N'Dour is a singer, songwriter, composer, percussionist, actor and politician, and one of the most visible personas of Senegal. Born in a griot family, he didn't take the traditional griot path but he is considered a modern griot anyway. He was the driving force behind the popular Senegalese music called mbalax. He came to world notice thanks to his collaborations with Western musicians like Peter Gabriel, but his music stands on its own. This song, Touba - Daru Salaam, is from his 2004 CD Egypt. The album combines West and North African music, as well as instrumentation in its use of the West African kora and the Arab oud. It promotes the tolerance of Senegalese Islam, and garnered a Grammy award for N'Dour.

African Mellow: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Hawa Dolo"

The great Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté perform our random tune today. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others, This song, Hawa Dolo, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005).

Hall of Fame Lineup: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Naweye Toro"

The random tune for today is by the great Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others, This song, Naweye Toro, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005).