Nakan

Mamadou Diabaté, not to be confused with the famous Malian kora player with the same name, is a maestro of the balafon. Hailing from a traditional griot family of the Sambla people in Burkina Faso, Diabaté and his nephew Yacouba Konaté lead a dual balafon assault capable of setting any stage on fire. Diabaté's 15th album, Nakan has a more modern sound compared to his previous albums. He is accompanied by Burkinabé musicians on balafon, ngoni and calabash and Austrian musicians on electric guitar and bass, together as Percussion Mania. Diabaté presents 13 of his own compositions, which are steeped in the 800-year-old tradition of balafon playing, though they manage to still sound modern.

The opener, ‘Nyuman Ke’, is typical of his approach. The vibrant interplay between the two balafons lays the foundation for a mid-tempo song with beautiful West African vocals, a furious rock guitar, pumping bass and lovely flute playing. ‘Yankaw’ features a frantic rhythm, evoking memories of the great Malian guitar bands of the 70s. The standout track is ‘Ele Ko Lo’, an uptempo dance song with driving balafon. This virtuoso music sounds good at home but only really comes to full fruition live on stage.