African Roots and Rhythms: Abou Diarra (Mali)
Abou Diarra is a recent discovery and I’m obsessed. There’s not a lot written about him and that’s a shame. He’s an amazing musician, singer and songwriter whose music is really fresh and engaging.
From the Wassalou region in Mali, Diarra began playing music at a young age when he would accompany his mother to ceremonies and traditional festivals. His musical training came from an ngoni master, Vieux Kanté, who was blind. He began his career in an unusual way. He literally walked from town to town on the roads between Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bamako (Mali) and Conakry (Guinea) for several months. In this way, he discovered and was subsequently influenced by traditional and contemporary urban music.
Diarra adds extra strings to his ngoni so that it goes beyond the classical scale of the instrument. He can play it as a traditional instrument or as a drum, as a bass, or as a guitar. He is known as the “Jimi Hendrix of the ngoni.” His skill with the instrument is indeed stunning.
Love this video.
There isn’t any action in the following videos, but definitely listen for the music.
This song is from his third album, Sabou.
Finally, one last one from his fourth album, Koya.
This is a bonus video. It shows Abou Diarra making a kamele ngoni. No power tools. Absolutely incredible.
