World Village – Musical Open University: Mamadou Diabate (BUR)

In the House of Music's newly launched series, the World Village – Free University of Music, Balázs Weyer, program director of Hangvető, will give musical lectures, always on a specific topic of global music, always with the guest of an invited musician. The first performance presents the history, traditional culture and characteristic instruments of West Africa from the heyday of the Mande Empire in the XIII. century, including the so-called jeli culture and musical dynasties. Pictures, video clips and a conversation with Burkina Faso guest the balaphonist artist Mamadou Diabate will also help you learn about this musical tradition and one of its most important instruments, the balaphone – and of course, the instrument will also be played throughout the evening.

Mamadou Diabate is one of the masters of the balaphone, the typical African wooden, xylophone-type percussion instrument. Born in Burkina Faso, he has lived in Vienna, Austria for many years. He comes from the family of traditional "Jeli" composer and storyteller of the Sambla people. His professional musical training began at the age of 5. His virtuosity is outstanding – some say his playing is like having more than two hands. Since 2001, he has released 13 CDs. His album Keneya, released in 2002, was the world premiere of the traditional balaphone music of the Sambla people. The material is essentially a translation of the Sambla language into music. Mamadou Diabate's extraordinary creativity is a never-ending stream of musical creations that keep his people's culture and musical traditions alive.