Kasse Mady Diabaté - 2001.Nov.03 Music Meeting

Now that I found a way (beeld en geluid) to clarify unclear "Radio Nederland -
Bureau Afrique" catchings, I can present you some more, but be aware it's only some tracks of the concert and between songs with talk by a French-Dutch guy.
Let's stay in Mali with Kasse Mady Diabate, who is no family of Abdoulaye at all and born in Kéla, the capital of the griots more than 300km from Segou upstream the Niger river. In 2001 he performed twice at the "Music Meeting" festival, and lucky for us, both were recorded by Dutch radio.

About Kasse Mady Diabaté

(from an old Music Meeting page, using google translation):
Kassé Mady Diabaté is known for his deep knowledge of the oral musictradition of Mali and his ability to translate this into a modern context. But above all he has one of the most beautiful voices of West-Africa. Kassé is named after his grandfather, who with his heavenly voice people literally brought to tears ('kassé'). He has been a member of the group Super Mande, with which he won the bi-anual festival in 1973 won and the Latin-American flavoured Las Maravillas de Mali. In the eighties the music scene in Mali came to a dead end. Like many Africans Mady went into exile in Paris, that had become the new center of worldmusic. There he released two solo-albums, of which the swinging Fode the answer was to Salif Keita's praised Soro. Because of his peace-ful nature, he was not able to make a living in the hard musicworld of contracts, copyrights and a lot of shouting. In 1998 he returned to Mali, where he discovered that the young generation had become interested again in Malian music. After Songhai Toumani Diabaté asked him again for a co-orperation, this time together with Taj Mahal. The American blues-guitar player was so impressed by Mady's voice that he gave him a beautiful guitar.

His performances at the Music Meeting 2001.Nov.03:

both as "Kassé Mady (Mali) meets Baba Sissoko (Mali)"

• churchconcerts in "Antonius van Paduakerk" (afternoon)
• concertgebouw "De Vereeniging" (evening)

About his companion Baba Sissoko (Mali/Italy)
When Baba Sissoko was baptised (in 1963), not the usual white ram was offered, but a white ox. Furthermore the vistors of the ceremony received three-times more than normal cola-nuts and dates as presents. Sissoko was recognised already at birth as special child, somebody who was predestined to become a griot. Sissoko also disseminates stories and legends, teaches children and placates evil spirits. Important with all of that is for him his tama, a sort of talking drum, which Baba carries everywhere with him. Sissoko introduced the tama in the modern music of Mali. But with the same ease he plays the Malian lute, n'goni. He accompanied Ami Koita, Toumani Diabate and especially Habib Koite, he was a member of his ensemble Bamada. More recent he played with te Cuban bass player Cachaíto and toured with The Art Ensemble of Chicago. The now in Italy living musician plays at the Music Meeting the role of multi-deployable festival-joker. He gives a workshop at the music academy, participates in a percussion project, plays together with Kasse Mady, plays his role in the 3rd Mini Meeting and will for sure bring more surprises!!

Listen to the first track:


DIABATE KASSE MADY 2001.11.03 - Music Meeting Nijmegen

Setlist: 1.Fode / 2.Mamadi Boutiki / 3.Kaira // 4.Koulandjan / 5.Baba Sissoko - Ebi (faded out)
(corrected tracknr.1-2 acc.NGONI's comments)
my assupmtions (based on the beeldengeluid infos):
-tracknr.1-3 are from the afternoon in St.Antonius van Paduakerk
-tracknr.4-5 are from the evening in De Vereeniging

Review from the concerts (2001.Nov.06, volkskrant, from corrected "triple Dutch" google):
"That surprises not always need to be new proved Kasse Mady Diabaté, the "sleeper" among the great Malian voices, from who for many years was heard virtually nothing as solo performer. Saturday afternoon he couldn't get the acoustics of 'Anthony of Padua Church' under control. But in the evening at 'De Vereeniging', his 'melodious waterfall' voice along with the gurgling soli by Adama Diarra (on balafon) and Baba Sissoko (on three-stringed n'goni) sounded ideal. It was a casual but compelling happening, the party was even joined by Sekou Bembeya Diabaté, the man who plays his electric guitar with 'diamonds fingers'. Mady and his companions remained close to the West African tradition, Sekou with his on African harp strumming based guitar motives and Kasse Mady with his pure on melody based arrangements. With such an act, the Music Meeting proves to be not just another ordinary world music festival."

Discography (main sources mali-music.com, musiques-afrique, infos NGONI)
1989: Fodé (CD, Syllart-Mélodie/Stern's)
1990: Koulandjan Kéla (CD, Syllart-Mélodie) and as "Kela Tradition" (CD, Stern's)
2003: Kassi Kassé (CD, Corason/EMI Hemisphere/Narada)
2008: Manden Djeli Kan (CD, Universal)
2009: Kela (CD, Syllart) comp.of 1989/90 albums
2014: Kirike (CD,  Six Degrees Records)
with National Badema:
1977: L'Orchestre Le National Badéma (LP, Mali Kunkan) available 1981 reissue
1983: National Badema du Mali - Nama (LP, Mali Kunkan) available:
           Mali Kunkan LP / Syllart LP / pirate? K7 (LPs with good sleeve notes!)
1986: National Badema du Mali - Vol.2 (unreleased) available K7 copy
2000: National Badema - Original Kasse Mady (CD, Sono Africa) comp.of 1977/83
2001: Badema National du Mali - CAN 2002 - Mali 2002 (K7, local release)
release for Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (CAN) footbal championship held 2002 in Mali (note: more artists released CAN 2002, i.e.Oumou Sangare)
with other groups
1999: Taj Mahal & Toumani Diabate - Kulanjan (CD, Hannibal Records)
2004: Mandekalou - The Art And Soul Of The Mande Griots (CD, Syllart)
2006: Mandekalou - The Art And Soul Of The Mande Griots II (CD, Discograph)
2009: Mandekalou performance (rec.2009.Feb.14) watch at philharmoniedeparis
2010: AfroCubism - AfroCubism (CD, World Circuit #WCD.085)
2012: Mandekalou live 2011 (2xDVD) see vol.1 and vol.2
some vocals on:
Under African Skies* (1989) / Hank Jones meets Cheick-Tidiane Seck and The Mandinkas - Sarala (1995) / Djanka Diabate - Sabou Sabou (1997) / Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Segu Blue (2007) / Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - I Speak Fula (2009) / Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Jama Ko (2013)

*(upd.Mar.28): The whole documentary Under African Skies - Mali (incl.performances by Kasse Mady) has recently been posted by Graeme Counsel on his Radio Africa YT channel.

Enjoy EATING those RAW!