The sound of Ballake Sissoko’s 21-string kora identifies him, along with Toumani Diabate, as one of the best kora players of a new generation of…
Artist Profiles: Ballake Sissoko
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Artist Profiles: Boubacar Traoré
Boubacar Traoré was born in Kayes, in 1942, in the Bambara region of Mali. His nickname, Kar Kar was given to him when he was…
Artist Profiles: Cheick-Tidiane Seck
Cheick-Tidiane Seck, keyboardist, composer, and performer of popular and traditional Malian music, is one of the most prolific, experienced, and perhaps even under-appreciated musicians from…
Artist Profiles: Coumba Sidibe
Coumba Sidibe, whose first album was the highest-selling album in Africa for a female vocalist, was known the world over as the multi-titled Queen of…
Artist Profiles: Balla Tounkara
Balla Tounkara is a jeli (also known as griot by westerners) and master kora player from Mali, West Africa. He and his band, Groupe Spirit,…
Artist Profiles: Baba Sissoko
Baba Sissoko is a master of the talking drums (tamani). He is also a jali (griot) by birth. He has collaborated and recorded with Youssou…
Artist Profiles: Assitan Mamani Keita
Born in Bamako of a Malinke father and Bambara mother, two of the 3 ethnic groups living in Mali, Assitan Mamani Keita was brought up…
Artist Profiles: Amadou & Mariam
During the 1960s, in Bamako, Mali, a young girl of six used to appear at local festivals by popular demand. On the other side of…
Artist Profiles: Adama Yalomba
Malian musician Adama Yalomba plays guitar, ngoni and dan. He became known to western audiences in 2003 thanks to the CD Festival in the Desert…
Artist Profiles: The Abonation
Started in 2004, the band, originally called TIK, performed in many places in Perak, northwestern Malaysia. The first members of the band, which are original…