Jul 8th, 2008 · The son of great Malian bluesman Ali Farka Toure grew up secretly learning to play the guitar. Now he has his own music and his own style. He performs with Mama Sissoko on ngoni, a West African ancestor of the banjo.
Apr 29th, 2008 · After a six-year absence from the recording studio, musician Habib Koité and his band, Bamada, are back with a new CD, titled Afriki. Koité talks about his style of blending the musical traditions of his Malian homeland with contemporary influences.
Apr 15th, 2008 · By most accounts, Diabate is the world's greatest living player of the kora, a 21-string West African harp. Now, his new album finds the Malian master musician alone with the instrument and defining the state of his art.
Apr 24th, 2007 · Mali is home to a vibrant music scene that draws fans from all over the world. When jazz vocalist and JazzSet host Dee Dee Bridgewater visited the West African country, she immediately took to its culture and music. Hear a concert that celebrates her mix of jazz with Malian sounds.
Oct 25th, 2006 · Malian singer-songwriter Salif Keita is a pioneer of African popular music who sings about racism and political struggle. Independent producer Reese Erlich goes to Bamako, Mali, to gauge the impact of Keita's music on the people of Mali and his role in the birth of the Afro-Pop sound.
Sep 29th, 2006 · Nuru Kane arrives at his blues by way of Malian traditions, and blends it with his roots in Senegal, the traditions of the Gnawa people and his life in France. Playing guitar and the traditional Gumbiri three-stringed bass, he creates a musical journey that covers centuries, continents and many ways of thinking.
Jan 17th, 2006 · The father-daughter radio team of Mal and Jennifer Sharpe continue their exploration of what they call photo walls with a visit to The Magic Castle in the Hollywood Hills.
Dec 14th, 2005 · What were the best CDs and songs of 2005? NPR reviewers and listeners share some of their favorite artists and albums from the past year, including the Malian folk-rock of Amadou and Mariam, rapper Kanye West and the ethereal Icelandic group Sigur Ros.