Passing of a genius

As yet more musical icons shuffle off to the big gig in the sky, Nigel Williamson celebrates the life and work of the recently deceased Toumani Diabaté

Tributes to John Mayall on his death at the age of 90 recently were richly deserved. As the godfather of the British blues boom in the Sixties, not only Eric Clapton but also Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, the Fleetwood Mac trio of Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, Cream’s Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser of Free all served their apprenticeships in his band. Less remarked, though, was the passing three days earlier of Toumani Diabaté, the greatest musician to come out of Africa since… well, some would say ever. Only a tiny handful of gifted virtuosi become synonymous with their instrument. It’s hard to think of the violin without remembering Yehudi Menuhin; the classical guitar with Segovia; and the sitar and Ravi Shankar. As the king of the…

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Hi-Fi Choice (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024

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