Abdoulaye Diabaté - 1999.Nov.05 Music Meeting Nijmegen

Years ago I catched from "Radio Nederland - Bureau Afrique" a concert recording in a program called "Paradiso". It was never clear where or when this was recorded, until recently I found info about a recording on beeldengeluid.nl, which matched the songs on the unknown live recording I had. So now I can present to you: Abdoulaye Diabate live recorded in 1999 at a festival called "Music Meeting", held every year in Nijmegen, Nederland.

About Abdoulaye Diabate (from the old Music Meeting site, using google translation):
In a society without radio, television and telephone, the griot occupies an important place. He is a messenger of good and bad news. Birth, marriage, meeting, death, war, in the Malian savannahs the griot shares it all orally. The only tool he has is a drum, kora, n'goni or flute. The griot is a symbol of the tradition of the spoken word, of which nothing is recorded on paper, and serves as repository for the collective memory and tradition. He wears the culture, the customs, the history of the country with it in countless songs and stories. He is therefore called the djeli (the blood) of Malian society. You can recognize a djeli by his surname, like Kouyate or Diabate.
Abdoulaye Diabaté (1952) is a descendant of an old and famous djeli family in the Segou region. Father Baba Diabaté was the leader of the griots-Diabaté in Segou. Abdoulaye started singing at the age of eight years, when he went with his mother Assitan Dembelé, one of the best Bambara-singers, along the villages. In 1975 he replaced the singer of Koule Star, then started his professional music career. A year later he joined the Orchestre Régionale de Segou. He founded his own band Kene Star and released over the years, alone or with Kene Star, four albums. Five years ago (ca.1994) Diabaté was named best Malian artist, no small feat in a country where the competition with people like Ali Farka Toure, Habib Koité, Salif Keita and Oumou Sangare is huge. Last year he released his latest CD Bende. On it the singer and percussionist is accompanied by traditional instruments like balafon, flute, n'goni and djembe drums and guitars. Abdoulaye combines the ancient griot function with that of contemporary songwriter. He sings an ode to the leader Adama Diarra or a harvest song, but he calls his compatriots also to understand each other and to love one another. "Understanding leads to joy" is the message of the title track Bende.
Abdoulaye Diabaté [vocals] - Modibo Diabaté  balafon, vocals] - Francois Dembele [djembe] - Issa Samake [guitar] - Safré Coulibaly [guitar] - Yacouba Ballo [guitar] - Zakaryaou Dembele [drums]

Listen to the first track:


DIABATE ABDOULAYE 1999.11.05 - Music Meeting Nijmegen

Setlist: 1.Sissi Koulou / 2.Ngnoko / 3.Seine / 4.Tindro / 5.Beundre / 6.Balani
Corrected setlist (following NGONI's comments - please correct after download!):
1.Sissi Kouloun / 2.Massadjourou / 3.Tendoro song* / 4.Karamokole (Donso-foli rhythm) / 5.Monzon / 6.Tendoro song* (another one) / 7.Balani (faded out)
note: * Tendoro is a rhythm of the Bwa ethnic group, Abdoulaye Diabate orchestra is a specialist in this dance of the Bobo farmers

Discography (main source mali-music.com, incl.updates DOUBLE thanks to NGONI):
198?: Koule Star et Abdoulaye Diabate - Mamou Diallo (K7,#S-017) at wrldsrv
198?: Abdoulaye Diabate et Koule Star - Bobereni (K7, Syllart #8343) at wrldsrv
1988: Abdoulaye Diabate et Koule Star - Massadjourou (K7, Syllart)
1989: Kene Star & A.Diabate - Kassikoun (K7/LP, Syllart) at wrldsrv
1992: Abdoulaye Diabate - Namawou (K7, Syllart #SYL.83135)
1993: Abdoulaye Diabate - Tabalé (K7, Syllart #SYL.83178)
1995: Abdoulaye Diabate - Djiriyo (CD, Syllart-Stern's #STCD.1066) comp.of K7s
1998: Abdoulaye Diabate - Bendé (K7/CD, MALI K7 / Cobalt)
1999: Abdoulaye Diabate - Best Of (K7, MALI K7)
2000: Abdoulaye Diabate - Makan (K7/CD, Syllart)
2002: Abdoulaye Diabate - Samory (CD, Cobalt #09354-2)
2010: Abdoulaye Diabaté & Koutiala - ORTM (CD, Mali K7, live rec.) add.info
2014: Abdoulaye Diabate - Diobaly (interview about album)
note: no known releases between 2002 and 2010

PS: searching for more be aware that there are at least 3 Malian musicians with the name Abdoulaye Diabate!!

Enjoy EATING those RAW!