Track Listing

1. Debe
2. Kala
3. Mamadou Boutiquier
4. Monsieur Le Maire De Niafunke
5. Kaira
6. Simbo
7. Ai Ga Bani
8. Soumbou Ya Ya
9. Naweye Toro
10. Kadi Kadi
11. Gomni
12. Hawa Dolo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2333 in Music
• Released on: 2005-09-13
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
In the Heart of the Moon is a summit meeting between two world music giants, guitarist Ali Farka Toure and master of the kora-the 21-string gourd harp-toumani Diabate. It is the first newly recorded work from either artist in five years and their first album-length collaboration. More an eloquent, in-depth dialogue than a jam session, In The Heart Of the Moon was recorded during three unrehearsed, improvisatory two-hour sessions at the Hotel Mande, on the banks of the Niger river, in Bamako, Mali.

Amazon.com
Ali Farka Toure fans expecting to hear another fiery electric blues effort from the African John Lee Hooker are in for a big surprise. Toure's first album after a six- year hiatus is mostly an acoustic duo with kora master Toumani Diabate that draws upon Malian and Guinean folk style from the 1950s and '60s called Jamana Kura, which grew out of the Mande griot music tradition. Both musicians were children at the time this music was popularized and a yearning sentimentality flavors many of the songs, particularly "Hawa Dolo," one of three Toure tunes rerecorded here in that older style. Other surprises abound as well: there are only two vocal tracks from the deep-voice Toure, and much of the soloing is actually handled by the flittering Diabate. Minus a few overdubs by guests like Ry Cooder, the music here were first takes from a jam session in which the two musicians would improvising over the basic structures. Nonetheless, this loose approach matched with the stunning beauty of the playing makes it a treasure worth holding on to. --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Mellow Melodies of Musical Masters
This is a rare feast! Two of Mali's finest musicians getting together for a couple of jamming sessions! There were no rehearsals, just immediate harmony, understanding of the music and each musician exhibiting appreciation of the other. Both artists brought their rich repertoire with them, one leading the other into a melody they both knew and off they went... creative improvisation combined with virtuosity of their two instruments, guitar and kora. The backup team included no other than famous American guitarist Ry Cooder and his son Joachim.

IN THE HEART OF THE MOON may have taken a few hours to record, but the build up to this first musical encounter of Mali's musical giants took many years. Listening to them play, you wouldn't believe either time span. Having met and heard them both play in informal settings, I can imagine the sessions, the wordless intuitive exchange through eye contact and gestures. The result is, as they say, magic! According to the accompanying notes, they themselves were surprised how well each understood the musical culture of the other. Both could adapt their playing style to the other's requirements. It demanded completely new harmonies on Toumani's kora - it softened the voice of Ali's guitar. Toumani's comment: "This is a record of music that did not exist before!" It melds the different musical traditions of two distinct Malian cultures.

Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté have both been household names of Mali music for a long time. One is famous as Mr. Blues and the other admired as Mr. Kora. Their styles are rooted in their respective ethnic cultures: Ali comes from the northern Songraï and Toumani from a long line of (southern) Mandé griot tradition. They are also from two generations. Toumani admired Ali's music as a child. "Toumani is a child born in my hands" says Ali in the notes. He played with Toumani's father, Sidiki Diabaté, also a famous kora virtuoso.

This album features by and large traditional compositions, most of them instrumental, some adapted by Ali for guitar, and one composed by Toumani dedicated to Ali on his election to Mayor of his hometown Niafunké. Those familiar with Malian music will recognize many of the tunes and enjoy the beauty of their interpretations. Those unfamiliar with its rich repertoire will find this album and excellent introduction. Just one warning - you will want to buy more recordings of both artists. [Friederike Knabe]

Superb album, delicate and unaffected music, unhurried, enjoyable to the last echoing note
Having experienced Toumani Diabaté's music before, I instantly recognized it on a local "Bonjour Africa" radio show this afternoon. Racing to my local music seller to buy this disc, I found the last copy. You'll have no such trouble here, lucky you. This music is amazing ... the entrancing, rhythmic interplay between Touré's gentle guitar and Diabaté's lilting kora are like two string instrument spirits filling the room with their joy. Despite being recorded with a mobile setup in a hotel room on the banks of a river, the sound is lush and full-bodied; the bass response needs no subwoofer to penetrate to your bones. A few very deft overdubs by Ry Cooder and his son Joachim, and others, don't intrude.

This album is world music the way that non-world music fans probably prefer it: accessible, gentle, amazing, and worth repeated playings, either out loud or quietly in the background. Dare I say it's even good "date music." Play the samples here and judge for yourself.

A good pairing
My favorite African music album is Diabate's previous album with his relative, Ballake Sissoko, "New Ancient Strings".

However, this album is probably more accessible to the listener who has little experience with non-Western music. This is because the familiar tonality of the guitar gives the new listener something to fasten onto.

The music is quite excellent in its own right, and will be refreshing to the listen who is dismayed at the recent tendency of pop Western music to dispense with melody altogether.