Mamadou Diabaté’s new album: DOUGA MANSA - The king's vulture
Mamadou Diabaté's new release, Douga Mansa, his fourth album and second solo recording, confirms the great musicianship of this young korafola (Kora player). The production notes made sure to point out that this whole album was recorded in one take without any overdubbing. That is a feat by itself. Although the title may sound dark to some, the songs don’t sound dark at all and showcase Mamadou's skills and mastery of the kora. It’s worth mentioning that this album is all instrumental. It’s hard to pick a favorite simply because all the tracks are amazingly well recorded.
Some parts of the performances are so fast that I could not help but imagine his fingers literally flying back-and-forth over the strings. That is what made me think of him as "Flying fingers" Mamadou. Hope he doesn't mind the nickname. This release establishes if there was ever a need for it, Mamadou Diabaté as one of the masters of the kora. He definitely earned the right to be compared to veterans like Foday Musa Suso, Mory Kante or even his famous cousin Toumani who some debatably considers to be the king of the 21 string harp. Whatever your personal favorite is, you won't be disappointed. The album is available both on iTunes and eMusic.
Alain K. SESSI
Africagrooves.com