Description

A bold and innovative musical visionary, the late Toumani Diabat transformed the sound of the kora – the 21-stringed African harp – and introduced it to the world stage.

First released internationally in 1995 on Joe Boyd’s Hannibal label, ‘Djelika’ was a groundbreaking and adventurous album that showcased Toumani’s fearless creativity. Collaborating with two of Mali’s finest traditional griots – Kltigui Diabat on balafon and Bassekou Kouyat on ngoni – Toumani forged a deeply expressive trio at the heart of the project. They were joined by celebrated bassists Danny Thompson and Javier Colina, with Dian Diarra contributing kamalengoni on the track ‘Tony Vander’. Together, these remarkable musicians crafted a radiant fusion of Malian tradition and global musical dialogue – a timeless testament to Toumani Diabat’s boundary-defying artistry.Now available on vinyl for the first time, ‘Djelika’ joins Chrysalis Global’s acclaimed reissue series celebrating the music of Toumani Diabat.Remastered from the production-masters by Phil Kinrade at AIR Mastering, this 180-gram vinyl pressing is accompanied by a 12″ x 12″ insert with new track-by-track notes by co-producer Lucy Durn and features newly restored artwork.1 Djelika
2 Nankouman Djan
3 Cheick Oumar Ba
4 Marielle
5 Kandjoura
6 Aminata Santoro
7 Tony Vander
8 Sankoun Djabi