Toba Seydou Traore

Donso Ngoni artist Toba Seydou Traore was born in the early 1960s near Bougouni in Mali, where as a young child he heard the music of hunters. Seydou's ensuing fascination led to much family conflict, but he persisted, later becoming an apprentice of renowned musician YORO SIDIBE and eventually a master in his own right. Consistently satisfying listeners across Mali with his strong voice and truly comic sensibility, Seydou cries out here over the trance-inducing pulse of his deep six-string donso ngoni to exceptional hunters, Muslim holy men, and elderly blacksmiths, lauding their knowledge, power, and invaluable contributions to Mande society.