Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
say, is that riff yours?
back in the day the unsuitable boy once made me sit down and listen to Ali Farka Toure. If you’ve ever heard his music, you will excuse me for being mesmerised, then started a largely unhealthy obsession with malian string instrumentals.
Ali sadly passed away, but its great to see some other very cool music coming out of Mali. In particular, a favourite of mine is Toumani Diabate, who plays the kora, a versatile stringed instrument similar to the guitar. Diabate brings it to life with heartbreaking skill. Heartbreaking because i recently picked up a cheap guitar at argos to try and teach myself, and all i can play is a junoon’s jugalbandi. Diabate meanwhile manages a little better: Toumani Diabate(check out debe)
Turn the volume up, grab a coffee and prepare to weep ;)
and as microsoft enters the fray to buy yahoo, the FT, never one to miss ironies quotes Robert Herrick
Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold;
New things succeed, as former things grow old
I’ve recently been reading histories of ancient empires, specifically the roman and indian ones, and its remarkable how the cycles of even man’s most abstract creations, seems to follow still a circle of waxing and waning…true enough of today’s new corporate empires i suppose too?
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
al-tahafut said:
oh man, diabaté played in boston on the 2nd! last night! why do these things always happen to me? =(
February 4th, 2008 at 11:20 am
an_unsuitable_boy said:
ouch al-tahafut that hurts.
Heartbreaking because i recently picked up a cheap guitar at argos to try and teach myself, and all i can play is a junoon’s jugalbandi.
that is a classic line