Discography

Albums

Lamaranaa (1993) Buda Records/Allegro(France)
New Life (2001) Sunrise Records/Orchard (USA)
Djerelon (2006) Kora Company Collection(USA)

Compilations

Acoustic Africa (2000) Manteca World Music (UK)
World Festival of Sacred Music-Los Angeles (2002) USA
Festival International Nuits d'Afrique (2004)
Canada.
Festival International Nuits d'Afrique (2006)
Canada
Global Rhythm Sampler CD (2007) USA

REVIEWS FOR DJERELON....

"A veteran musician of Guinea - master of kora and kamelen n'goni, and a fine vocalist to boot - Prince Diabate returns to Guinea for a rich, intimate studio session. Last year Diabate went back to Conakry (where Afropop Worldwide first met him in the late 80s) to record new work with a host of great local musicians, including famed guitarists Kane Manfila, who also arranges and produces here, and Djessou Mory Kante. Djerelon is an ensemble work, very naturally produced with only strings, percussion, balafon and vocals and tambin (Fula Flute.) Diabate combines the acoustic approach American listeners favor, with the camaraderie and ambiance found only in Conakry to produce one of the most satisfying Guinean releases in a long time...
Diabate steps out for a flashy solo here and there, notably on the intro to the gorgeous ballad, "Mignabele," but mostly he goes for a rich blending of chiming guitar, brisk kora and balafon. His singing is smooth and robust and up to a full Djeli wail when called for, as he proves on the stately title track....Expert arranging sets this recording apart from many contemporary recordings of Mande music. Diabate's worldly wanderings have served him well and while he honors and participates in his rich tradition, he does not simply mimic familiar formulae, but charts a course of his own. He reveals his broad experience and modernity with subtlety and cool. Djerelon establishes him as an important player in the growing wave of West African acoustic pop.'
Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide July 2006


"Prince Diabate is one of the most exciting kora players working today. He also sings both traditional Manding music and his own compositions, and is very interested in fusing traditional music with modern ideas without having the modern elements dominate. He's assisted in DJERELON by the great and very successful Kante Manfila, who has been getting further back into his roots the last several years. Despite occasional electric guitar and western flute, the overall feel of DJERELON is traditional West African. Even the guitars sound like traditional African instruments, perhaps closer to a n'goni than a kora, but mostly they fit right in. The sound of the balafon is most appreciated. Despite as many as ten people on a song, everything is bordering on laid-back. There is a definite groove. Some people could actually dance to DJERELON, but it's too subtle for most people raised on rock or disco to actually get up and dance to... but shake your head, tap feet, rock back and forth - you bet. DJERELON holds an infectious sound that will never grow old. It's not radically different from Prince Diabate's earlier cds, but perhaps more realized: his best yet." www.worlddiscoveries.net Jan, 2007


"A fine album of West African acoustica from the US-based kora maestro." FLY (UK,) June 2007


"Prince Diabaté is a Guinean kora player who resides in New Mexico and he has returned to his native country to work with local musicians on this atmospheric semi-acoustic CD. Using a mix of traditional songs and original compositions, Diabaté neatly keeps a foot in both the traditional and modern camps, making for a satisfying showcase of contemporary West African roots music. .Kanté Manfila is co-producer and arranger, and there's something of the Malian legend's classic album Tradition about the whole approach to the album. From the ripple of descending balafon notes that usher in interlocking acoustic guitar melodies and soulful female harmonies, to Diabaté's subtle kamelen n'goni and kora embellishments and rich,woody timbre of a voice, there's an effortlessly relaxed feeling to the recordings. There is some exceptional interplay between the instruments on the first track, Horoya, with the drop-dead gorgeous female harmonies a perfect foil for Prince Diabaté's cool croon.... The rousing call-and-response between strings and voices on Herakoura elegantly rides waves of percussion, and on the mellower side, Mignabele is a shorter, quieter version of the traditional song….with kora to the fore, this is a serene new take on the song. Also worthy of note is the flute playing of Becky Allen and Sadio Diallo, which adds a welcome flightiness at crucial points on many of the tracks.' Folk Roots (UK) Dec, 2006.


"Prince Diabate is an accomplished kora player from the West African coastal nation of Guinea and is currently based in Los Angeles, where he has recorded with the likes of Ozomatli. For Djerelon, he returned to the Guinean capital of Conakry to record with local musicians. Played throughout West Africa, the kora is a 21-string instrument that is sort of a cross between a harp and lute, and Diabate is rightfully regarded as a master of this complex instrument. The instrumental arrangments on Djerelon will remind listeners of many of the fine recently released recordings by Malian artists, as the record also reminds us that these musical styles are not defined by political borders and can be found throughout the region." Pop Culture Press, Spring 2007

"Prince Diabaté is called “the Jimi Hendrix of the kora,” but that’s just lazy shorthand for saying that he’s a skilled and exciting performer. On Djerelon, no pyrotechnics were used to create the disc’s lively and lovely Guinean music. Mostly acoustic and semi-traditional, electric guitar and bass are only a small part of a mix that includes balafon (better known to most as marimba), a lot of hand drums, both Western and African flutes, the single-stringed Fulani violin, a thumb piano called the gongoman, both male and female backing vocals, and, leading it all, Prince Diabaté with his mellifluous kora playing and plaintive voice. Like much of the best West African music, Djerelon is upbeat, but with a blue-toned soul, as minor-keyed phrasings snake their way through the predominantly happy melodies. Although its distribution is limited, Prince Diabaté’s latest CD (his first in five years) is well worth hunting down.' Michael Keefe, Pop Matters, Aug 21, 2006

'Beautiful, modernized and multilayered African Mandingo griot pop... This album made me sit up and listen not just because it's pretty-sounding, but also because Diabate has created some musical sounds that I haven't heard before... and that's pretty darn cool. The microtonal riffs that run counterpoint to the album's elegant kora work are quite striking. ..The entire disc is quite nice, actually -- if you enjoy gorgeous, melody-driven African pop, you'll want to check this album out!' Slipcue E-Zine, June, 2006

"Prince Diabaté has taken a new direction on his latest album. He approached Kante Manfila to collaborate on the arrangements and production. Manfila decided that he would also like to play acoustic guitar on three of the songs. (Prince actually arranged the traditional Peulh song, FULBE FOUTA, on his own, despite the album credit) and, as noted, all the acoustic guitar work was done by various members of the Kante family, including cousin Mory Kante on solo guitar. This acoustic approach is a departure for Diabaté whose previous albums have been fused with funk, rap, reggae and other outside influnces. Here he has gone back to the Mandé roots of the Puehl or Fulani people of Guinée for inspiration. The title means 'remember your roots' and the set proves that roots is best. The compositions are mainly the work of Diabaté, who plays kora, kamele ngoni & sings lead. There are also four traditional pieces. The ensemble is excellent and, though it's low key, it is a good mood album, perfect for a little mental safari to the bush of an evening. There's a one-string Fulani violin, Malinké and Fulani flutes and gongoman (which is the Susu thumb-piano), played by a wide array of talents, old and young, drawn from all corners of Guinée. Fode Sylla on djembe stands out, and Youssouf Conde on balafon acquits himself admirably. There are good harmony singers, meaning they are not shrill. All in all a pleasant hour of traditional music." Muzikifan, Sept 1, 2006

'À l'écoute de son chant, on ne ressent pas cette impression d'intense déchirure, ce véritable foudroiement propre aux grandes voix mandingues à la Salif Keita. L'organe coule en douce, un peu voilé, parfois fragile, sans trop de force dramatique, laissant quand même opérer le charme. Un choeur féminin, souvent autonome, qui n'a rien de la force émotionnelle des voix perçantes et puissantes des grandes cantatrices, se fait tout de même entendre fort agréablement, avec joliesse et délicatesse. Mais lorsqu'il joue de la kora, grande harpe royale, Prince Diabaté prend son véritable envol. Parce qu'il avait électrifié son instrument et qu'il avait fusionné sa musique avec toutes sortes de sonorités nord-américaines, on l'avait qualifié de Jimi Hendrix des cordes mandingues. Le revoici, plus près que jamais des racines malinké, susu et peuhl, sur un disque à dominante acoustique coréalisé avec le splendide guitariste Kanté Manfila. Un album ambitieux, enregistré à Conakry avec une vingtaine de musiciens : des cordes raffinées, des tambours et du balafon qui nous parlent pour vrai, des flûtes subtiles ou déchirantes. Un disque fluide.'
Yves Bernard, Le Devoir, Montreal, Canada, July 2006

'For world music enthusiasts, who particularly enjoy West African musical tapestries, this album is well produced, performed and arranged...thoroughly entertaining, sweet and authentic. All of the instruments are the real thing and you won't find anything plugged in here...I recommend DJERELON to all world music fans and to those who just want to feel the joy that a true artist like Diabate delivers.'LA YOGA Magazine, July/August, 2006

Djerelon: Prince Diabate: Editor's Pick
"Known as the Prince of the Kora, Prince Diabate funnels his superb kora playing with a variety of modern spiritual sounds fusing it with his own take on his region’s style of music. Mostly an acoustic album, the sounds are earthen, warm, and natural. “Djerelon” means “remember your roots” in his native Malinke language and that’s precisely what Diabate does. The instrumentation includes kora, kamelen n’goni, a one-stringed Fulani violin, Fulani flutes, Susu thumb piano, and contra-bass. Guinean traditionals are married with several original compositions that show off Diabate’s dynamic songwriting skills while keeping true to the album’s name. Incredible African music that is sure to whisk you away to West Africa."
- Smother Magazine June 2006


'The title means "remember your roots" and with his first new set in 5 years, Diabate remembers his roots while looking forward, all the while avoiding the pitfalls of sets that try to fuse old and new and just wind up being nice at best. A very snappy world beat set that doesn't follow convention as much as march to its own drummer; any fans who know him from before won't be disappointed while any new fans will be delighted. Creating a sound that doesn't fit the format but is friendly throughout, world beat has a new, left leaning leader.'
-Midwest Record June 21, 2006


"Guinea-born Prince Diabate has been known to experiment, including in his music strains of funk, reggae, rap and blues. But DJERELON is a departure from his forays into world fusion. Like other recent African albums, DJERELON hails back to the traditional roots (Djerelon is Malinke for "remember your roots".) Kora, drums and voice dominate, with some flute, bass, guitar and balafon tossed in here and there to nice effect. The 11 tracks include 4 traditional songs with new arrangements by Kante Manfila. The rest are Prince Diabate originals, including my two current favorites: the upbeat Herakoura and Djerelon. A sure winner for West African music fans."
- SPIN THE GLOBE, KAOS, 89.3FM, WA.USA, May 2006