Award-winning balafon (xylophone) master Mamadou Diabate comes from a family of griots (oral historians/praise singers) of the Sambla people in Burkina Faso. Helping to keep alive the balafon’s 800-year-old history, he is a popular performer at festivals in Africa, Europe, Malaysia and India. Often when he performs balafon solos, he creates the impression that three balafonists are playing together. He is joined by his Percussion Mania ensemble, which is the only group that has two balafons as lead instruments. Their shows, which feature spectacular balafon duets with his cousin Yacouba Konate, are a true explosion of energy on stage and musically on the highest level of traditional African sound fused with jazz and modern elements.
“magical…on fire” — Afropop Worldwide
