The Mandé Variations

Toumani Diabaté's World Circuit debut captures the Malian kora master reimagining his family’s centuries-old griot repertoire through solo instrumental variations. Recorded in London, these spare, meditative pieces strip the traditional melodies to their harmonic essence, letting the kora’s shimmering resonance define each phrase. Diabaté's technical command and compositional clarity mark a decisive departure from ensemble settings, establishing him as a solo artist of considerable depth.