Cheick Hamala Diabate with Baye Kouyate

Cheick Hamala Diabate, Malian griot musician and cousin of the great Toumani Diabate, is a master of the ngoni (predecessor to the American banjo). He's also a lecturer, dancer and choreographer, and we're pretty excited to see him play this benefit for the people of Mali. He's joined by percussionist Baye Kouyate, a descendant of Mali's original griot, who specializes in the tama, or talking drum—you're sure to get an intense, beautiful sense of the West African tradition.