Malian Balaphone Maestro Keletigui Diabate Dies at 81

News from American record label Cumbancha and Belgian agency/label Contre Jour confirm that Malian bala (balaphone) virtuoso Kélétigui Diabaté died in Bamako (Mali) on the morning of November 30, 2012.

For many years, Diabaté was a member of Habib Koité’s band Bamada. His masterful performances on the bala (a West African xylophone) mesmerized audiences across the world.

Despite having a long reputable career, his first solo album, Sandiya didn’t come out until 2004, released by Contre Jour, a Belgian world music management, booking agency and record label that represented Habib Koite and Kélétigui Diabaté.

Read Bala Bing a review of Sandiya.

For additional biographical details read cumbancha.com/keletigui-diabate-has-died