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Listen to Toumani Diabaté's Neo-Classical Song 'Mamadou Kanda Keita'

The new single blends Diabaté's traditional Malian kora music with the classic sounds of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The legendary Malian composer Toumani Diabatéhas released a new single "Mamadou Kanda Keita" with the London Symphony Orchestra. The song comes off his collaborative upcoming album Kôrôlén which is anticipated to drop this April. "Mamadou Kanda Keita" mixes Diabaté's traditional Malian kora music with the classic sounds of the London Symphony Orchestra. The song calls for a gentle ear to listen to it and unveils the forgotten common grounds for Africa's ancestral sounds.

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Toumani Diabaté & Oumou Sangaré Feature In Béla Fleck's Expansive 'Throw Down Your Heart' Sessions

Béla Fleck explores the roots of the banjo across West Africa.

World-renowned banjoist Béla Fleck shared the Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions earlier this year. The expansive 3-disc collection includes a new duo album from Béla Fleck and kora master Toumani Diabaté, titled The Ripple Effect.

Today, we're getting a first look at a track-by-track break down of some of the songs from Throw Down Your Heart—which explores the roots of the banjo in West Africaand The Ripple Effect. Artists like Mali's Oumou Sangaré, Tanzania's Anania Ngoliga, Madagascar's D'Gary and Uganda's Nakisenyi Women's Group also feature on the release.

"Throw Down Your Heart documents my trip to Africa to interact with great acoustic musicians, and looks into the roots of the banjo, which originated in West Africa and came to the Americas with the slaves," says Béla Fleck. "The title references the prisoners being transported to the slave ships, who 'threw down their hearts' when they realized they'd never see their homes again."

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Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté: Father And Son On Their Collaborative Kora LP

Watch kora master Toumani Diabaté & his son Sidiki speak on their griot legacy and upcoming collaborative album.

On West African Instrumentation

In this article we dive into the various instruments and sounds of West Africa.

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