One of the best african music albums we missed last year was Famoro Dioubate’s Dununya. Like Toumani Diabate, he’s also part of the Griot people, the storytellers of the Mande Empire, unlike him he’s from Guinea and plays the balafon, the ancient xylophone.

“As legend holds, the balafon (xylophone) appeared magically in the forest almost a thousand years ago where it was discovered and guarded jealously by mighty sorcerer-king Sumanguru Kante. Eventually it was re-conquered by the founder of the Mandé Empire, Sundiata Keita, who bequeathed it to his griot, Bala Fasseke Kouyate to play and protect.”

On Dununya, his 9 piece Kakande orchestra features some unlikely instruments like cello (Raul Rothblatt), flutes (Sylvain Leroux) and sax (Avram Fefer), but also traditional instruments like the kora (Yacouba Cissoko). He shares vocal duties with his cousin Missia Saran Dioubate. Lots to discover here from laidback grooves to infectious dance rhythms, telling traditional stories in contemporary ways. Read more on the afrobeat blog.