Words by Justin Turford
The 21 stringed kora instrument is one of the musical wonders of the world, the pride of Mali. Malian master kora player Ballaké Sissoko has released the title track of his forthcoming album, ’Djourou’, and it is a delicately hypnotic piece with Gambian kora player, singer and activist Sona Joburteh who we had the pleasure of seeing live at Liverpool’s outstanding Africa Oye festival. The album has been rescheduled for release on April 9, 2021 on the brilliant Parisian label Nø Førmat! who recently released the excellent ‘Undondolo’ by Urban Village. This is his eleventh album and as well as his solo pieces, he has worked this time with a number of artists that are not part of the Mandinka musical genre that is a key cultural part of his griot caste (other castes are not allowed to be musicians) such as Nouvelle Vague’s Camille, African legend Salif Keita, French rapper Oxmo Puccino and French cellist Vincent Segal (who he has already released two albums with).
For this first single, Ballaké purposefully invited Sona to collaborate as a means to connect with the younger generation of kora players of which Sona is at the vanguard. As the promotional copy mentions ‘to rejoin with their common forebears, weaving a thread across borders that were unknown to the griots back in the days when the Malian empire radiated over much of West Africa. Speaking about the recording of the duet of ‘Djourou’ with Ballaké - a vital influence on her growing up as a young kora player - Sona recalls; You grow up listening to somebody, and that’s the person that has in many ways been your teacher, your inspiration since a very young age. The first time I heard him, sounded so different to me, the tone that he gets out of the instrument is so different. He says something to me, the phrasing and the melody he picks - and he’s technically amazing, but he doesn’t let that become more than the music. That’s something I’ve always respected about him.”
NEW ALBUM: ‘DJOUROU’ - NOW DUE APRIL 9, 2021 ON NØ FØRMAT!