Fais Kandia Kora

Kora player, singer and songwriter Zal Sissokho was born in Senegal and arrived in Montreal in 1999. His new album, Kora Flamenca, is the fruit of a musical project that he has nurtured over a long period of time. The idea was born during a trip to Seville, when Zal first became interested in the sounds of flamenco. He was fascinated by the playing techniques of the musicians he met in Andalusia, and became set on creating music that would combine flamenco with the Mandinka culture of his native West Africa. Zal Sissokho has recorded several albums and performed on stage, both as a soloist and with other artists such as Les frères Diouf, Celso Machado, Constantinople, Fakhass Sico, Lilison di Kinara and Richard Séguin.

The World Kora Trio is American cellist Eric Longsworth, kora player Cherif Soumano from Mali, and French percussionist David Mirandon. Their music is the encounter of cultures from three continents, “World music” in the truest sense. The colors of African music embodied by the kora resonate with the jazz and folk universe of the electric cello, and the varied percussions add spice and rhythmic vitality. The compositions are original, brought alive by constant improvisation and interaction, and the pleasure these three musicians have to be on stage together is palpable. Jazz, folk, rock, Maghreb flavours and blues come together with African tradition to create music without borders. Based in France, the World Kora Trio has toured in Canada, Mexico and Europe, and has played notably in Mali, Moldavia, Corsica, and Poland.

Nottingham-based Senegalese composer and kora player Seckou Keita is proud to present African Rhapsodies: an epic project created in collaboration with Italian composer and musician Davide Mantovani, released via Swiss label Claves Records. African Rhapsodies is an enchanting, kora-led work, enhanced by the power of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Les Amazones d’Afrique are an all-female collective of west African musicians, campaigning for gender equality. They have been described as a supergroup, and the characterisation seems apt. Angélique Kidjo, Kandia Kouyaté, Mamani Keita, Mariam Doumbia, Mariam Koné, Massan Coulibaly, Mouneissa Tandina, Nneka, Pamela Badjogo and Rokia Koné hold a strong pedigree, and it’s a rare opportunity to witness such a collaboration; the real sound of contemporary Africa.