Diabate, Lang & Singh

Kora, guitar and tabla come together in unity when Mamadou Diabate, Jeff Lang & Bobby Singh tour the East Coast of Australia in January. With an itinerary that runs from Noosa to Tasmania, the three internationally recognised artists will be exploring the musical alchemy that ignited when they jammed together in a small music studio in Melbourne earlier this year.

Mamadou Diabate was destined to play the kora — a traditional West African 21-string guitar. Cousin of legendary kora player Toumani Diabate, who was one of his most influential teachers, Mamadou was born and raised in the griot tradition of Mali, using music and oratory to preserve his people’s consciousness of their past. From his Grammy-award nominated solo album, to his latest release Douga Mansa (King Vulture), Mamadou’s technical virtuosity and innovative approach have kept him in high demand internationally.He currently calls North Carolina home.

Jeff Lang — based in Melbourne — has earned worldwide acclaim as a guitarist, dynamic songwriter and a startlingly unique live performer, defying description and genre. His intuitive and idiosyncratic instrumental virtuosity are supported by songs that expand the boundaries of traditional folk, country and blues, creating a new blend of music which is undeniably and deeply steeped in those traditions, yet with its vision set on future horizons. As an instrumental storyteller, Lang gives the guitar a voice and then makes it sing.

Bobby Singh, now a well-known denizen of Sydney’s inner west, spent much of his childhood in Mumbai studying tabla — the Indian hand drum. Recognised as a great talent, Bobby is the disciple of Aneesh Pradhan, one of the world’s most sought-after tabla players. Nurtured into a mature, internationally renowned tabla virtuoso, both in traditional Indian and cross-cultural genres, Bobby has played with many of the top musicians in Australia and the world.

When the three musicians met in 2008, no one could quite predict the musical alchemy that would occur as a result. A spontaneous day of recording at Melbourne’s 30 Mill Studios led to an astonishingly beautiful and surprisingly natural recording that displays the conversational and virtuosic style that all three are renowned for.

The album, titled Djan Djan, will be released by Instrumental Recordings in conjunction with the tour, the label created by music company Top Shelf for the express purpose of releasing rare and unique collaborative instrumental projects.

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