featuring Tani Diakite of Wassalou, Mali

genre:  world music, afro-desert blues - like a blending of Howlin' Wolf,  Ali Farka Toure and Saharan group Tinariwen.

Mali Blues Group features Tani Diakite (Wassalou, Mali) on kamelon ngoni with KT Rusch on electric bass, and Djam Vivie (Ghana) on percussion.  Traditional, hand-made West African instruments, potent electric bass-lines, and original songs create the sound.  This page represents Milwaukee based Mali Blues.  Please e-mail to contact Tani directly.

We feature a collective of Milwaukee and Madison musicans such as: Yaya Kambaye, Jason Seed, Tony Casteneda, Andy Ewen, Tim Gruber, Nicky Sund, Deon Sartin, Bocar Ndiaye, Edie Gbordzi, Chris Braun, Firat Ilker and others on live performances.

We are available for educational workshops featuring making and playing traditional instruments as well as other aspects of African arts and culture.

"Malian Blues Group's rootsy, danceable groove earns the Milwaukee band most of its accolades.   but the group...is also about producing good vibes..."       Shepherd Express

"Mali Blues Group: Live from Madison and Milwaukee -  Imagine that  one of the intersections of Western African and Western rock music happens right here in Wisconsin!   Mali Blues Group brings together folks like Tani Diakite who hails from Mali, a land-locked African nation bordering both Senegal and the Sahara desert, and folks from Wisconsin like KT Rusch.  Together they forge an interesting sound  that is tight and raucous like a good drum circle should be, yet explores the interplay between traditional gourd and skin instruments like the djembe and the kamelon ngoni and the electric bass.  The combination may be more natural than it seems on the surface, as most instrumentation we take for granted as 'rock' had its roots in the traditions of African music.  This live CD was recorded in both Madison and Milwaukee and for live sound it is well miked and the sound quality is amazing.  For a group with "blues" in the title, I found the tracks to be bouncy, uplifting, and even without being familiar with the language in the vocals, I felt like vocalizing along with them."       Nerve House   Fall 2006

Tani Diakite

Tani Diakite is a Malian singer and professional kamelon ngoni virtuoso. He is a member of the highly prestigious Bureau of Malian Artists, an honor given by the Malian Ministry of Culture.  Tani also performs as a solo artist. 

Born and raised in the bluesy Wassoulou region of southern Mali, he currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin.

KT Rusch

The first two recordings she was able to purchase as a youth in Milwaukee were:  Elmore James: King of Slide Guitar and Bob Marley Live.  See All About KT for more info.

Djam Vivie

Djam is from a village near the town of Oh in southern Ghana.  He is a master woodcarver, drum maker and founder of African Arts and Cultural Heritage (phone 608-446-1019) in Madison, WI. He also plays with Madison group Atimevu.

Master Vivie has been carving, building and playing drums for nearly three decades. Drum making runs through his family, both on the maternal and paternal sides. It is a way of life for his clan, who for centuries. has been making drums and stools for legendary Ghanaian Kings and local authorities. He believes that happiness is a curative power derived from the rhythms of drums. He currently resides in Madsion, Wisconsin.

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