Players of the 21-stringed Malian kora are renowned for their ability to enter into productive collaborations with musicians from other cultures, perhaps because Mali has long been a cultural crossroads. One of the instrument's most renowned players is Toumani Diabaté, said to be descended from 70 generations of musicians and storytellers. This set of selections, recorded in 2008 at the Barbican in London, is inventive even by the high standards of Malian fusion. In all but one piece, "Moon Kaira," Diabaté sets for the main pitch material, even if there is an opening orchestral passage. The pieces are basically expanded versions of Malian compositions, but the ways the material is developed, representing different solutions to the problem of how to fuse two musical systems, are different in each case. The orchestral arrangements, by Nico Muhly and Ian Gardiner, are questing and inventive, perhaps introducing a xylophone as an intermediary step between Diabaté and the orchestra or delivering full cinematic strings as in the conclusion of "Mamadou Kanda Keita." For many, the chief attraction will be the sweeping yet intricate kora playing of Diabaté himself, which includes such novelties as a quotation from Ennio Morricone's score for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (in "Cantelowe's Dream"). The arrangements don't overwhelm the rather quiet kora, and in general, the live sound, perhaps using amplification of the kora, is clear and clean. Those who haven't yet encountered Diabaté may find this an ideal introduction, and it's a must for anyone intrigued by cross-cultural experiments. ~ James Manheim, Rovi

1		Haïnamady Town
2		Mama Souraka
3		Elyne Road
4		Cantelowes Dream
5		Moon Kaira
6		Mamadou Kanda Keita

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