Gritty Griots: Trio Da Kali and "Yirimadjo"

Trio Da Kali brings us the random tune for today, a song called Yirimadjo. Uniting three musicians from the Mande culture of southern Mali, each of the trio comes from the ancestral griot tradition. Vocalist Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté is the daughter of legendary griot Kassé Mady Diabaté. Lassana Diabaté is the group's musical director and balafonist, and he has recorded and toured with many legends of West African music. Bass ngoni player Mamadou Kouyaté is the eldest son of celebrated ngoni player Bassekou Kouyaté. The group brings a modern interpretation to ancient Malian songs, but still using traditional instrumentation, and was originally formed as part of a collaboration with the Kronos Quartet. You can find Yirimadjo on Trio Da Kali's eponymous 2015 EP.

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.