Horizons: Trio Da Kali

Trio Da Kali

Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté
Voice

Fodé Lassana Diabaté
Balafon

Mamadou Kouyaté
Bass ngoni

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Australian String Quartet

Dale Barltrop
Violin

Francesca Hiew
Violin

Christopher Cartlidge
Viola

Michael Dahlenburg
Cello

Trio Da Kali

Trio Da Kali is a group of outstanding musicians from the Mande culture of southern Mali, who come from a long line of distinguished griots (specialist hereditary musical artisans).  They are a newly formed group, although they have known each other for many years - and they play Mande griot music like no one else.  Their aim is to bring to the forefront the neglected repertoires and playing styles of the griots.

Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté | Voice

Hawa Kasse Mady Diabate is undoubtedly Mali’s finest female voice today, revered at home for her knowledge of repertoire and for her powerful, clear and expressive voice, rooted in the tradition of Kela, a village in southwest Mali famous for its griot music, where she grew up. She is the daughter of Mali’s most celebrated male singer, Kasse Mady Diabate – guardian of Kela’s special tradition - and the niece of Mali’s best-known female singer and composer, the late Sira Mory Diabate.  When she first met David Harrington, first violinist of the Kronos Quartet, she sang for him the praise song, Da Kali. Harrington stood transfixed, and then said, “that’s the closest I’ve ever got to the voice of Mahalia Jackson!”.

Fodé Lassana Diabaté | Balafon

Lassana Diabate, the musical director of the group, is a virtuoso balafon player who comes originally from Guinea, where the balafon originates. The balafon as an instrument type played by griots dates back at least to the 13th century.  Lassana began playing balafon at the age of 5 at home in Conakry with his father, Djelisory Diabate, a master balafon player, from Kindia, some 150 kms inland. Lassana later apprenticed himself to some of the celebrated balafon masters such as the late, great El Hadj Djeli Sory Kouyate, also from Kindia, as well as the late Alkali Camara. To this day, Lassana cherishes the now rare recordings of his mentors, whose unique styles continue to be an important inspiration to him. He settled in Mali in the late 1980s after being invited to join the band of the diva Ami Koita, and has since recorded with many of Mali’s top artists such as Toumani Diabate, Salif Keita, Babani Koné, Tiken Jah Fakoly, and Bassekou Kouyaté; he was also a member of the Grammy-nominated Mali-Cuba collaboration, Afrocubism.

Mamadou Kouyaté | Bass ngoni

Mamadou Kouyate is the eldest son of ngoni wizard Bassekou Kouyate. He grew up in Bamako playing the ngoni with his father and the extended family, and is astonishingly creative in the bass lines he produces on this four-string bass string instrument. He is currently touring as a member of Bassekou Kouyate’s new group, Ngoniba. 

Australian String Quartet

Since 1985, the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) has created unforgettable string quartet performances for audiences around the world.

Dedicated to musical excellence of the highest standard, they aim to create chemistry and amplify intimacy through experiences that connect people with music.

From their home base at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of

Music, they reach out across the globe to engage people with an outstanding program of performances, workshops, commissions, digital content and education projects.

Their distinct sound is enhanced by a matched set of 18th-century Guadagnini instruments, handcrafted by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini between c.1743 and 1784 in Turin and Piacenza, Italy. These precious instruments are on loan for their exclusive use through the generosity of UKARIA.    

Dale Barltrop plays a 1784 Guadagnini Violin, Turin

Francesca Hiew plays a 1748-49 Guadagnini Violin, Piacenza

Chris Cartlidge plays a 1783 Guadagnini Viola, Turin

Michael Dahlenburg plays a c.1743 Guadagnini Violoncello, Piacenza, ‘Ngeringa’