Diabate's Orchestra Showcases Sounds of Mali

By Robert Siegel

Published July 24, 2006 at 12:29 PM EDT

Toumani Diabate is a storyteller and musician known for his gorgeous melodies performed on the Kora, or African harp.

Diabate has recently teamed up with producer Nick Gold (of Buena Vista Social Club fame) to create a CD, Boulevard de L'Independance, with the Toumani Diabate Symmetric Orchestra.

From Senegalese Salsa to old Mande Empire standards, the album collects the various styles of music found in Mali.

Diabate talks about tracing his family's involvement in music back 71 generations. Producer Nick Gold talks about how Diabate's own music continues to evolve.

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Robert Siegel

Prior to his retirement, Robert Siegel was the senior host of NPR's award-winning evening newsmagazine All Things Considered. With 40 years of experience working in radio news, Siegel hosted the country's most-listened-to, afternoon-drive-time news radio program and reported on stories and happenings all over the globe, and reported from a variety of locations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. He signed off in his final broadcast of All Things Considered on January 5, 2018.

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