No excuses can hide the criminal actions of a Nazi fellow-traveller in this admirably objective documentary, suggests MARTIN HALL
Global Routes with Tony Burke: February 19, 2024
A feast of kora and the music of the Palestinian experience
Ballaké Sissoko (left) and Toumani Diabate
PAUL DONOVAN relishes a fascinating exploration of the leading lights of the Labour right in the 1970s
BEN LUNN alerts us to the creeping return of philanthropy and private patronage, and suggests alternative paths to explore
A novel by Argentinian Jorge Consiglio, a personal dictionary by Uruguayan Ida Vitale, and poetry by Mexican Homero Aridjis
MIK SABIERS savours the first headline solo show of the stalwart of Brighton’s indie-punk outfit Blood Red Shoes
New releases reviewed by IAN SINCLAIR
STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves
MALIAN kora player Toumani Diabate’s albums originally released on Joe Boyd’s Hannibal Records between 1988 and 1999 are being remastered and reissued on vinyl and CD by Chrysalis Records over the coming months, kicking off with New Ancient Strings, a collaboration kora player Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko.
Described as a follow up to the rare 1970 album Ancient Strings, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5MhyvSMUg&t=12s, a collaboration between their fathers, Sidiki Diabate and Djelimadi Sissoko, the reissue consists of eight timeless instrumentals of traditional Mande music with themes going back to the 13th century as well as embracing more modern-day sounds.
The reissue series will feature albums originally produced by ethnomusicologist and broadcaster Lucy Duran who presented the BBC’s World Routes on Radio 3 between 2000 and 2013. Speaking exclusively to the Morning Star, Duran explained the attraction of Toumani Diabate’s music.
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Tony Burke speaks with LUCY DURAN producer of a reissue series of Toumani’s Diabate recordings
The Jimi Hendrix of the kora, pure Soviet guitar and North African funk