- artist:Hawa & Kasse Mady Diabate
- featured artist:Hawa & Kasse Mady Diabate
- release year:2025
- style(s):Afro, Manding
- country:Mali
- formats:Audio File / Digital, CD (Compact Disc), LP / Vinyl
- record posted by:One World
- label:One World
- publisher:One World
- buy this record
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HAWA & KASSE MADY DIABATE “TOUMARO”
Kasse Mady Diabaté, a key figure in Malian music, left his mark on history with his gentle yet powerful
voice, earning him the nickname ‘the golden voice of Mali’. Tremendously respected Mandingo artist, was
known for his ability to touch souls with melodies and texts steeped in depth and tradition. As a griot, he carried the musical heritage of his people with dignity and talent. The album title song, Toumaro (À
bientôt), written by his daughter Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté, is part of this heritage, celebrating love and
gratitude. After Kassé Mady's sudden death in 2018, Hawa continued the album her father had begun
recording, offering a poignant tribute to his legacy and a beautiful way to connect with him spiritually
through music. Hawa herself is an iconic figure on the Malian music scene, particularly as a member of Trio
Da Kali, the griot ‘super-group’ whose album Ladilikan with the Kronos Quartet, produced by Lucy Duran,
was a true masterpiece, as well as their latest highly praised album “Bagola”, also released by One World
Records. “Toumaro”, in fact, was to be released last year, but as Trio Da Kali deserved its own attention, co-
producer and label owner, Carolina Vallejo, decided that Kasse Mady’s timeless album could wait a little.
“Toumaro” is a testament to the richness of the griot tradition, carried on by Hawa Kasse Mady, Madou
Kouyate and Kasse Mady’s band members, that, apart from Guinean Lassana Diabate, includes the two
Malian guitarists Lassine Kouyate and Gausou Kouyate. Their collaboration on “Toumaro” underlines the
importance of passing on cultural and musical values, while renewing the genre through contemporary
arrangements. The achievement of this historic project, hailed by connoisseurs and fans of Malian music,
was realised due to the involvement of Ibrahim Kaba, a fervent defender of the preservation of Mali's
musical tradition. Kaba’s unstinting support for projects like his co-production of Bassekou Kouyaté & Amy
Sacho’s recent release, “Djudjon, L'Oiseau de Garaná” (One World Records 2024), testify to Kaba's
commitment to keeping his country's musical roots alive, a vision shared with the studio team as well as
the label, all renown for the respectful and meticulous approach to preserving treasures of the Manding
culture, while bringing a contemporary dimension to them. The release of this posthumous album by
Kassé Mady Diabaté, represents a moving moment, a kind of spiritual and musical resurrection that
revives the joy and legacy of one of Mali's greatest artists. Kasse Mady Diabaté recorded just six albums
between 1989 and 2014, works that have left an indelible influence on the Malian music scene. His career
has been marked by a rare excellence and fidelity to Mandingo traditions, with titles such as Fodé,
Manden Djeli Kan and Kiriké, becoming classics. With this album, the world has the opportunity to
discover the seventh album by this unforgettable artist. It's hard not to imagine Kasse Mady, from
somewhere in heaven, smiling proudly to his daughter, as he sees the legacy of his art living on. Sharing
his blessings along with his daughter, they invite us to continue celebrating the beauty of Malian music
and the depth of its cultural heritage.
MUSIC & TEXTS Kasse Mady Diabaté ( ), Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté (*), Kasse Mady Diabaté & Hawa Kasse Mady
Diabaté (**). LINE UP Kasse Mady Diabaté Vocal, Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté Vocal, Lassine Kouyate Acoustic Guitar,
Gausou Kouyate Acoustic Guitar, Lassana Diabaté Balafon, Zoumana Diawara Kamale N’Goni, Mamadou Dit Fode
Kouyate Djeli N’Goni, Mamadou Koné Djembe & Calabash, Karim Coulibali Dundun Superposé, Yacouba Sissoko
N’Goni Bass.PRE-PRODUCED by Kasse Mady Diabaté. PRE-ARRANGED by Kasse Mady Diabaté, Lassana Diabaté,
Yacouba Sissoko & Gausou Kouyate. ORIGINAL RECORDINGS by Yaya Diarra at STUDIO BOGOLAN, Bamako, Mali in
2018.ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS by Madou Kouyate at MBK Studio, Bamako, Mali in 2023. POST-ARRANGED, MIXED
& PRE-MASTERED by Madou Kouyate. POST-PRODUCED by Ibrahim Kaba, K’MAM Productions, Mali & Carolina
Vallejo, One World Records. CD MASTERED by Madou Kouyate. VINYL MASTERED by Tom Leader. EDIT Carolina
Vallejo. COVER PHOTO Lucy Durán. COVER ART Carolina Vallejo.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Ibrahim Kaba & Carolina Vallejo
©℗One World Records 2025
TITLES 01. SOZANI (**) 03:43, 02. KASSE MORO (**) 03:32, 03. SIMBO 04:06, 04. FOGNANA KOUMA (**) 04:46,
05. KEME BOURAMA (*) 04:44, 06. NIAGALEBA (**) 04:38, 07. KAIRA (**) 05:02, 08. KASSE DYA (**) 04:50,
09. MANDE DJALI (*) 04:21, 10. LABAN DJORO (**) 03:03, 11. TOUMARO (*) 04:07