Heal Your Soul: Fatoumata Diawara's Favourite Music | Page 13 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

12. Toumani Diabaté and Ballakè SissokoNew & Ancient Strings

It’s very strong. This album makes me cry. It’s the first album of Toumani’s albums that I listened to and I started crying right away. I didn’t know why I was crying. I was crying for happiness, I was crying for sadness. I couldn’t explain it. I was crying deeply. That’s why I always say that music can heal people, because it can take you somewhere you don’t control. Many artists can take me to their world and through their world they can take me to my own world, to my past. For me, crying can heal many things. You can process many experiences that you didn’t have time to digest. With time, you digest them and you learn how to heal yourself, to be at peace. Listening to good music, music that you like, you can really help yourself, to heal your soul, step by step, day by day. This record is really deep.

PreviousNext Record

Don’t Miss The Quietus Digest

Start each weekend with our free email newsletter.

Help Support The Quietus in 2025

If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.

Subscribe Now