Malian n'goni player Cheick Hamala Diabate has an impressive musical pedigree: as cousin of world–renowned kora player, Toumani Diabate, and nephew of Super Rail Band guitarist, Djeilmady Tounkara, it is hardly any wonder that his chops sound so polished and effortless. The n'goni, a small, skin–covered plucked instrument from West Africa, is the ancient precursor of the banjo and, having previously hobnobbed with US banjo players like Bela Fleck and Bob Carlin, Diabate enthusiastically explores the ancestral link between these two instruments. He also plays the banjo himself on some tracks here and the result is a body of work that, at one moment, sounds completely traditional and, at another, a fusion of blues, Malian griot groove and even reggae. Diabate also plays guitar––left–handed and upside down––on a couple of tracks.
Recorded in Washington DC, where Diabate has lived since 1995, Ake Doni Doni takes full advantage of the location to make use of members of DCs Afrofunk band Chopteeth for this recording, as well as recruiting Diabate's own daughter and nephew. The result is a compelling, propulsive mix that manages to sound authentically Malian and give the impression that the River Niger is flowing sluggishly outside the studio doors, despite the fact that it most certainly isn't.
Griot music is not meant to be strictly for entertainment but rather to give moral instruction and to praise benefactors. Still a traditional griot despite his DC residency, it is quite clear who Diabate's prime benefactors are. Recipients of Diabate's praise on this collection include the Malian president, Amadou Toumani Toure, whom he bigs up on A.T.T, and a businessman by the name of Foulanga Babani Sissoko who gets praise on Baba Sissoko Dabia. In contrast, the CDs title track Ake Doni Doni, which translates as 'Take it Slow', is a plea for his country's youth to adhere to traditions, control their impulses and avoid contracting HIV. It's sung in English, so this message is clearly meant to be universal one.
08/10/09 >> 
