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"Of the 12 tracks on NEW LIFE, Diabaté's fusion tunes will appeal most to western ears - like the funky rap of FARAFINA, the flamenco chatter of CORA-FLAMENCA and the bluesy NAYETE - whether they're sung in French, English, Susu or Malinké. While catchy, these nods to US pop styles are unnecessary, since it is Diabaté's virtuosic, frenzied-as-a-Sunday-morning-gospel-choir work on the kora in native Mandé jams like FOFANA KUNDA that seal his rep as the 'Jimi Hendrix of the kora.'" - LA Weekly, June, 2002 "Known as the 'Hendrix of the kora,' Prince shows lightning-quick runs on the instrument while singing in a variety of African languages, occasionally French and English. Most of what we hear is typically upbeat and infectious, but our favorite is the title track NEW LIFE, a haunting, lilting march-like tune." - Music Connection, May, 2002 "A rooted prong who plugs into any socket, not just the ancient griot traditions of his native Guinea, Prince Diabaté has universal electricity. He plays the kora, a 21- stringed version he built himself, and looking at this big, lacquered spacecraft with its gourd resonator is a show in itself, but the rapid runs and deep rhythms he plucks and slaps out of it will trip you out. He sings, too, in a strong marketplace cry that cuts through anywhere. Improbable as it seems, his NEW LIFE demonstrates Diabaté's complete naturalness performing any style: tunes range from reggae to flamenco to a waltz, even, and all have guts..." - LA Weekly, March, 2002 " The colorfully garbed instrumentalist and singer, a descendant of a long line of Malinké djelis, is clearly a masterful kora player with the capacity to extract an astonishing array of sounds and melodies from his utterly unique instrument." - Los Angeles Times, March, 2002 " I love the CD. My congratulations! The fusion is done tastefully and the music has kept all of its authenticity and I love every single track in there." - Global Village, KPFK 90.7FM Pacifica Radio, July 2001 " An exuberant froth of rhythms with acoustic and electric instrumentation" - Pasadena Weekly, October, 2001 Moving easily between the classical traditions of Mandé music and modern fusion, Prince Diabaté and his kora have recently ventured far into the world music scene. Always inventive, he has now produced NEW LIFE, an album with an array of innovative touches. Freely fusing acoustic and electric styles, he has incorporated reggae, blues, merengue, rap, and other rhythms into his work, while still remaining true to his Mandingo roots. The result is a fresh new sound - created in Guinea and refined in the US. Prince Diabaté comes from a distinguished Malinké griot family from Guinea, West Africa. He learned his art from his Father. A virtuoso since childhood, he is considered to be one of the most versatile and innovative kora players performing today, and is one of the leading kora masters of his generation. He has toured all over the world and produced three CDs, NEW LIFE, being the latest. Currently based in Los Angeles, he can be found performing traditional and contemporary Mandé music with his acoustic and electric fusion bands. Check out the artist's website: http://www.princediabate.com Track List: 1. Bonga 2. Hadja Sira 3. New Life 4. Farafina 5. Fily 6. Cora-flamenca 7. Voyageur 8. Cora-sabar 9. Fofana Kunda 10. Mandingo Reggae 11. Nayete 12. Lullaby Suggested CDs:
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