sat 07/12/2024

Album: Toumani Diabate and the London Symphony Orchestra - Kôrôlén | reviews, news & interviews

Album: Toumani Diabate and the London Symphony Orchestra - Kôrôlén

Album: Toumani Diabate and the London Symphony Orchestra - Kôrôlén

West Africa at the Symphony

Toumani Diabate, master of the 21-string kora, along with some other Malian musicians, collaborated on a symphonic concert at London's Barbican Centre in 2008.

The orchestra in question were the London Symphony, who have often been open to working with musicians from outside the classical field. The recording has now become available, and joins a number af Toumani's adventurous collaborations that have included the flamenco group Ketama, jazz trombone-player Roswell Rudd, and the blues singer Taj Mahal.

The classical music orchestra produces a very specific sound that has attracted musicians from the world of pop and jazz. It offers a familiar and potentially versatile texture as well as a badge of respectability. The jury is divided regarding such well-known recordings as Charlie Parker or Clifford Brown with strings. At best, the symphonic orchestra provides a background or frame rather than a more expressive or elaborate presence. With Toumani, the result is undeniably tasteful, and the arrangers Ian Gardiner and Nico Muhly have produced something mostly unobtrusive, that serves the African soloists rather than upstages them.The first four tracks are gentle, in tune with the kora's scintillating and fluid sound: the orchestra never fights against the African instruments, whether violins and cellos, a solo oboe or bass clarinet: they play an acccompanying role. Nico Muhly was working as Philip Glass's assistant at the time and his arrangements are distinctly minimalist in style. This resonates well with the subtle repetitions of West African griot music, a genre which aboids the narrative tropes of much classical music and goes instead for something more meditative.

The music takes off when balafonist Lassana Diabate, one of the best in Africa today, is given space (as on "Mama Souraka"), or the late great singer Kasse Mady Diabate breaks loose on "Mamadou Kanda Keita" with a voice that works particularly well with one of the few orchestral arrangements (in this case Ian Gardiner's) that do more than provide a wash of sound. There's a moment of drama here which is unfortunately lacking in much of the album. Such collaborations might be more convincing if the diverse elements were enhanced by being brought together. In this case, the result is well polished, but without the magic that Toumani has delivered in his wonderful collaborations with Ali Farka Toure or Ballake Sissoko.

The symphonic orchestra provides a background or frame rather than a more expressive or elaborate presence

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters