UK: Chrysalis Global launches with ground-breaking griot album Guitari Baro

The album features Guinean balafonist Lassana Diabaté – hailed by American string quartet Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington as “comparable to JS Bach” – alongside fellow Malian virtuoso guitarist Gaoussou Kouyaté and fellow Guinean guitarist Kerfala Diabaté. Together, they form a trio that blends ancient tradition with modern musical innovation in what is being described as a musically and historically ground-breaking release.

“This extraordinary debut is both a captivating listening experience and a bold artistic statement – firmly rooted in tradition while pushing forward with new musical pathways,” executive producer Dan Walton said. “We’re proud to present Guitari Baro as the first release on the Chrysalis Global imprint.”

The album is co-produced by some of the most respected figures in African music including Dudu Sarr, Lucy Durán and Pape Armand Boye. Sarr is the director of Dakar Music Expo and long-time agent of Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour. Durán is an ethnomusicologist, radio broadcaster and producer of 26 albums by Malian artists, with three Grammy nominations to her name. Boye, owner of Studio La Boutique in Senegal, engineered the project, which was remarkably recorded in a single session.

“Guitari Baro is a celebration of pan-African creativity — uniting Malian tradition with Guinean guitar mastery,” Sarr said. “It highlights the richness and diversity of West African music while showing Africa’s role as a driving force in global sounds.”

The album explores the dynamic interplay between the balafon – a 1 000-year-old wooden-key percussion instrument – and the guitar, which first reached Africa in the 1930s. The musicians, all griots, carry forward the sacred West African tradition of being keepers of cultural memory and oral history.

Through Guitari Baro, the trio draw upon their shared Mande musical heritage while weaving in influences from jazz, Congolese rumba, rock and roll, Guinean dance bands, and Cuban music. The result is a sweeping instrumental conversation that bridges past and future, deeply rooted in African tradition yet speaking fluently in a global musical language.

“I am thrilled to say that Guitari Baro is one of the most exciting and innovative projects I’ve ever worked on,” Durán said. “What they have managed to create goes beyond all expectations, opening up breath-taking musical territories of old and new, local and beyond.”

Sound engineer and co-producer Boye praised the musicians’ artistry: “To my great surprise, the musicians came into the studio already equipped with their own special sound, achieved through their unique performance styles and fingering techniques. My job was made easier by their incredible dexterity and unfathomable creativity.”

The first single, ‘Mamelles’, will be released internationally on 30 July 2025, with the full album following on 26 September 2025 via Chrysalis Global. A UK and European tour is planned for spring 2026.

Chrysalis Global, which focuses on international jazz and folk, recently garnered acclaim for reissuing Toumani Diabaté’s landmark albums New Ancient Strings and Kaira. With Guitari Baro, the label reaffirms its commitment to presenting authentic and boundary-pushing global music.