Toumani Diabaté, a virtuoso of the kora, a 21-stringed West African instrument, which he often put into dialogue with other musical traditions from around the globe, died on Friday in Bamako, Mali.
His death, in a hospital, was caused by kidney failure, said his manager, Saul Presa.
Born in Mali to a line of griots, or traditional West African musician-historians, that he traced back more than 70 generations, Mr. Diabaté was devoted to celebrating the heritage of Mandé-speaking peoples throughout West Africa, and to sharing that history with the world.
“If you think of West Africa as a body, then the griot is the blood,” he told The New York Times in 2006.
“We are the guardians of West Africa’s society.
Persons:
Toumani, Saul Presa, Diabaté, ”, West
Organizations:
kora, New York Times
Locations:
Bamako, Mali, West Africa
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