Toumani Diabate

• He is an african composer and comes from Marlea in West Africa.
• Diabate plays the Kora.

Typical African Instruments

• Djembe: a drum
• Balafon: a xylophone( which is a typical african instrument)
• Bolombatto: a tin rattle, string instrument.
• Kora: a traditional 21 double string harp lute.

Kan Bengo- Is an ostinato riff on the Kora. The ostinato riff can be added or varied.

Biri mintingo- Is improvised runs on the Kora. There is extensive instrumentation.

• The piece is through composed, eg: A, B, C, D, E, F, G (No going back!)
• The introduction doesn't have kan bengo and has rests.
• The Kan bengo diminishes at the end.

Tonality

• Lydian mode- All white notes from F to F and has a feeling of being major.

Harmony

• Consonant
• Diatonic
• static (stays the same)

Melody

• Biri Mintingo
• Short sequences
• ornamentation
• Grace notes
• Scalic
• Conjunct
• Different phrase lengths
• Weaving melody
• Kora has a wide register and dynamics.

Sonority

• Koras and plucking, which is a traditional technique.

Texture

• Intro monophonic
• layered texture.

Tempo/ rhythm and metre

• 2/4 or 4/4
• free rhythm
• cross rhythm
• syncopation
• polyrhythm

Gua Jeo = An ostinato melody consisting of arpeggios and broken chords in a syncopated pattern.