Karam

The first release on the new cumbancha label’s moderately priced ‘discovery’ series, which provides a platform for under-exposed talents in international music. Kimi djabaté is a guitarist, percussionist and balafón (african xylophone) player from guinea-bissau, a former portugese colony in west africa. Djabaté’s sweet accessible sound is acoustic based and melodic, with a touch of afro-latin swing on several tracks, and the gentle sounds of the balafón providing a foundation for most. Recognised early as a prodigy, djabaté began playing the balafón at three years old. As a pre-teen he was sent to a neighbouring village to study the kora, which later provided a foundation for his accomplished guitar work. He has also since mastered a variety of traditional percussion instruments. Fans of habib koité, toumani diabaté, cesaria evora and sara tavares will find much to love in kimi djabaté’s music.