Prince Diabate Group

Considered to be one of the leading kora players of his generation Prince Diabaté, who comes from a long line of traditional musicians and singers from Guinea and Mali, brings not only total mastery over his ancestral tradition, but a commitment to renew it through fresh ideas and exchanges with musicians from many cultures. Moving easily between the classical traditions of Manden music and modern fusion, Prince Diabaté has incorporated reggae, rap and blues into his work punctuated by the occasional, funky use of the wah-wah pedal. The result is entirely his own: a fresh, powerful, rootsy brand of 21st century kora music. His new, semi-acoustic album entitled DJERELON, has just been recorded in Conakry, Guinea and is set for release in the US in May, 2006.