Customer Reviews
a master at work - By: David A. Smith, 02 Aug 2008 
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD & I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius & simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh & by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music & a living African legend.
A gentle bolt from heaven - By: Mr. I. Stephen, 29 Jul 2008 I was a complete newcomer to this man & his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performancein the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes & resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughoutin much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !
Very good, but not his best - By: fact junky, 29 Jul 2008 
Unlike New Ancient Strings & Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.
Warning - highly addictive - By: Friederike Knabe, 14 Jun 2008 Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosityin fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms & range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago & his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he & the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth & musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a mustin their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music & treat to enjoy over & over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over & over again.
Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time & Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument & enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detectedin the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound & complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed & learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco & blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies & rhythms of the past. All are his, or presentedin his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious & energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies & harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photosin the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings & insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]
serious music for all serious music lovers - By: Steve N, 06 Jun 2008 The playing is faultless reminds me, with its interweaving of melodies, of Keith Jarret & his Koln Concerts. It crams so much depth into something that on the surface sounds so simple. You will get more from this CD every time you listen to it & you will listen to it a lot
