47 f The Horn & The Harp
Unlikely though it may seem, this pairing of Senegalese kora player Ablaye Cissoko and German trumpeter Volker Goetze makes for sublime music. Bas Springer cornered them in Marseille.
O
ver the past few decades, col- laborations between African kora players and western musi- cians have yielded some won- derful albums. Still a classic is the partnership between the Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté, the Spanish neo- flamenco group Ketama and bass player Danny Thompson on Songhai 1 and 2. Chamber Music, a meeting between Bal- laké Sissoko and the French cellist Vincent Segal is also a cross-cultural pearl.
A classic in the making is Amanké
Dionti from the Senegalese vocalist and kora player Ablaye Cissoko and the Ger- man-born, New York City-based trum- peter Volker Goetze. This unique musical fusion consists of crystal clear sounds from the ancient kora, evoking images of small mountain streams, intoxicatingly beautiful Senegalese griot vocals and trumpet playing in the style of Miles Davis. Meditative, peaceful, spiritual,
warm and melodic are words which easily come to mind while listening to this fas- cinating album.
Ablaye Cissoko comes from a Sene- galese griot family, born into the caste of musicians, singers, and storytellers – a griot is considered to be a library of oral tradi- tion. Goetze has a jazz background. He has toured West Africa, Europe and Asia and recorded with international artists such as the famous Brazilian percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player Naná Vasconcelos and Lenny Pickett (ex-Tower Of Power horns). In 2008 Cissoko and Goetze first came together for their wonderful debut Sira which connects the ancient spirituality of the kora with modern western city life. Cissoko’s exquisite vocals, accompanied by the serene interweaving of kora and trum- pet, received rave reviews internationally. BBC Radio 3’s World On 3 praised the CD as “a wonderful collaboration of culture and languages”.
The second collaboration between the pair resulted in Amanké Dionti, one of 2012’s best African CDs. The kora/trumpet combination is rarely heard but Cissoko and Goetze demonstrate that the sound of both instruments can blend beautifully. The great strength of both albums is that they transport the listener almost imper- ceptibly to a mild meditative state, in which all daily cares disappear like snow in summer. It would not be an exaggeration to describe the music of Cissoko and Goet- ze as a spiritual sonic journey, that ranges from the coast of West Africa to the urban landscapes of New York and Paris.
Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze’s concert back in March in Marseille was one of the highlights of the annual world music expo Babel Med (see fR361). The audience in the packed main hall listened breathlessly to the magical sounds the duo were producing as if they hailed from the planets Peace and Meditation.
Photo: Judith Burrows
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