Kassé Mady Diabaté is a giant of the Malian griot tradition. On Kirike the teacher/poets covers subjects ranging from the dangers of idle gossip (“Ko Kuma Magni”) to the loyalty of a hippopotamus (“Sadjo”) to a call for peace (“Hera”). For this low-key but spellbinding set, he’s joined in the studio by Ballaké Sissoko on kora (harp), Makan Tounkara on ngoni (stringed lute), Lansiné Kouyaté on balafon (marimba), and French cellist Vincent Segal. Fans of the blues will appreciate the plaintive testimonials (in Bambara) by Diabaté, and the hypnotic nature of the earthy music is the perfect background for it.