Toumani Diabaté is a true pioneer of Malian music and one of the world's best-known players of the kora, a long, 21-stringed instrument native to West Africa. While his father, Sidiki “King of the Kora" Diabaté, recorded the first-ever kora album in 1970, the Diabaté legacy stretches much, much further—Toumani is, astoundingly, part of the 71st generation of kora players in his family. Known for his collaborative spirit, improvisational flair and innovative approach to infusing a breadth of musical styles into his own, Toumani has experimented with jazz, flamenco and Afropop. He's also worked with artists including Björk, Damon Albarn and late Malian legend Ali Farka Touré, with whom he won a Grammy for their 2005 collaboration, In the Heart of the Moon.