Afro-Cubism
Initially, World Circuit Records' producer Nick Gold had planned for Cooder and the Cubans to be joined by lute player Bassekou Kouyate and guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, two of Mali's finest musicians. At the last minute, the Malians were unable to secure visas to travel to Cuba for the session. Fast-forward 16 years into the future -- the plans for that original Cuban/Malian crossover are finally realized with the recording of Afrocubism. And this time, not only are Kouyate and Tounkara on hand, interacting with an all-star cast of Cuban players like singer/guitarist Eliades Ochoa and percussionist Jorge Maturell, but there's an additional batch of Mali's finest, including renowned kora master Toumani Diabaté and innovative balafon player Lassana Diabaté (no relation to Toumani). The Afrocubism ensemble puts a whole new slant on the "Afro-Cuban" tag, making for a true musical meeting of minds between the two cultures.