Toumani Diabate performed an intimate set of music from The Mande Variations, his first solo album in more than two decades, last Friday at LSO St. Luke's in London that earned a perfect five stars from both The Independent and The Guardian, and closed with a special guest turn from Buena Vista Social Club bassist Cachaito Lopez, on a tune from In the Heart of the Moon, Toumani's collaboration with the late Ali Farka Toure.
The Independent's Tim Cumming calls the concert "a stunning performance" after which Toumani "left us in no doubt ... he has grown into a musician of world stature working at the height of his powers."
The crowd's high expectations were met, reports Cummings, as it was "treated to Diabaté's in-the-moment unraveling of The Mande Variations." In response, the writer asserts, "Where your jaw drops is down to you, but drop it will." He draws particular attention to the piece "Cantelowes," which he calls "an intense listening experience; a music of beauty that demands your full attention, and whose abstractions seem to flow just beyond your grasp." Listen to the album track "Cantelowes" here:
To read Cumming's review, visit independent.co.uk.
The Guardian's Robin Denselow says the "historic set" from Toumani, "the world's finest exponent of the kora," offered further proof that he "is a star, not just by Western, but by global standards."
Throughout the concert, Toumani showed his command of the instrument, from "his skill in simultaneously playing both a mesmeric riff and delicate accompaniment" to his talents "mixing grand melodic themes and furious decorative flurries ... and showing off his rapid-fire, virtuoso improvisation and embellishments."
To read the Denselow's review, visit music.guardian.co.uk.
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