The landlocked West African country of Mali has produced some outstanding singers and musicians in the past 40 or 50 years. Think of Mali's most famous musician, Salif Keita, and great dance bands like the Super Rail Band, Zani Diabate and his Super Djata Band, the late Ali Farka Toure… and the list goes on.
In the 1980s, female singers from Mali's Southern Wassoulou region emerged, led by the soaring voice of Oumou Sangare. Her Moussoulou album set me off on a musical journey to discover other great female singers from the original generation, like Kandia Kouyate, Ami Koita, Fanta Doumbia and Sali Sidibe.
More recently, a new generation of female artists, led by the internationally successful Rokia Traore, have been making waves.
Many of these musicians have deep musical roots, with some of them belonging to the jeli class of praise singers and musicians. One of my favourite Malian jeli singers is Kasse Mady Diabate, who I believe is every bit as good a singer as Salif Keita but never had his international success.
His 1988 album, Fode, was supposed to follow up on Salif Keita's hugely successful Soro but didn't make the same kind of sales. He then switched to a more acoustic sound (one of the first Malians to switch from all-electric to more acoustic and traditional) with the Ibrahim Sylla-produced Kela Tradition (1991). Fans of Malian music should definitely check out his Kassi Kasse album, which was recorded in his native village, Kela.
Diabate's daughter Hawa Kasse Mady Diabate has been following in her father's footsteps by performing some of the more lively jeli songs at weddings. Recently, she formed a new-generation supergroup, Trio de Kali, with musical director and balafon (African xylophone) master Lassana Dibate and bass ngoni (Malian bass lute) master Bassekou Kouyate.
All three musicians hail from Southern Mali, and Diabate grew up in Kela, which is a centre for jeli culture and music. The supergroup was created to record a collaborative album with Western classical ensemble the Kronos Quartet. The beautiful and inspiring album they created, Ladilikan (World Circuit), was released recently and is currently riding high in the top spot on the European Broadcast Union's World Music Chart for October.
The Kronos Quartet is no stranger to cross-cultural collaboration, having worked with many artists from across the globe, including Rokia Traore. The new album is part of the Aga Khan Music Initiative.
There are so many wonderful songs on the album, which expertly and deftly blends ancient Malian music with contemporary Western classical strings. The Malian masters are superb and the Kronos musicians are restrained and understated in their support and accompaniment. The musical meeting of these two fine bands is seamless and joyous.
Songs like Tita create a floating soundscape built on the lilting rhythms of balafon and bass ngoni, while Kanimba cranks up the tempo without disturbing the beautiful balance of the music and the old jeli standard. Lila Bambo soars to an exuberant ending that is truly thrilling.
But the most outstanding musical moments of the album come from US gospel music, in particular from the work of gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. The title track, Ladilikan, is a gorgeous reworking of Jackson's I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song on which Dibate's voice soars (and you can hear why many people compare her voice to that of Jackson's). In keeping with the social commentary that many female Malian musicians work into the lyrics, this cover version discusses the recent civil disturbances in Northern Mali.
Another outstanding Jackson-inspired track is my favourite, God Shall Wipe All Tears Away. This song showcases Diabate's dynamic range; her voice is really something special. Perhaps Hawa Kasse Mady Diabate will eclipse her father on the international stage.
This marvellous album is an enchanting collaboration that blends the best of Mali's ancient jeli traditions with contemporary Western classical music, and the result is something new. Out of the old traditions come the new. Unmissable and highly recommended.
This columnist can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com.
