Trio Da Kali

On 16 March 2026 Trio Da Kali will perform at SPOT/De Oosterpoort in Groningen. The trio from Mali is rooted in the Mandé tradition and brings together three musicians from prominent griot families: singer Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, heir to the repertoire of her father Kassé Mady Diabaté; balafon player Fodé Lassana Diabaté, known for his work with Toumani Diabaté; and bass-ngoni player Mamadou Kouyaté, son of Bassekou Kouyaté. Their music is acoustic and centered on the voice: repetitive balafon lines, ostinatos on the bass ngoni, and a lot of space and silence build slow, contemplative arcs of tension. The song forms draw on Mandé praise-singing traditions and touch on the blues and certain spirituals. In the 2010s Trio Da Kali became a staple on international stages and pursued cross-pollination, notably with the Kronos Quartet on the album Ladilikan (World Circuit, 2017), where Mandé repertoire and gospel history intertwine. The name, often translated as “to take an oath,” underscores their commitment to keeping ancient forms alive in contemporary contexts.