"Gambian multi-instrumentalist Dawda Jobarteh and his top-notch band of Danish, Cameroonian, Ghanaian, Cuban, and Gambian musicians embrace an accessible fluidity of styles, and thus emotions, on "Transitional Times". The album centers on Jobarteh's masterful playing on the kora, the Mandinka West African harp that has became a staple piece of transnational 'world music' projects. His group's particular matrix of plucked strings, electric rock instrumentation, spiritual jazz, and a loosely unifying theme allows them to toy with labels and stereotypes while opening into less-trodden ground. Despite belonging to a lineage of lauded jaliya or griots who helped spread recognition of the kora beyond West Africa, Jobarteh only began to focus on the kora after relocating to Denmark, having initially studied the calabash in the Gambia." (Rootsworld)
"Maher Cissoko's Kora World is een opmerkelijk muzikaal eerbetoon aan afkomst en sociale rechtvaardigheid. Bovendien dient dit nieuwste album van Maher Cissoko als een diepgaande reis, waarbij erfgoed en hedendaags bewustzijn naadloos met elkaar worden verweven. Het is een eerbetoon aan onze voorouders en de blijvende erfenis die zij aan toekomstige generaties hebben nagelaten. In de kern resoneert "Kora World" met de geest van vergeving en vrede, waarden die historisch gezien de griots hebben verankerd in tijden van onderdrukking en tegenspoed. Bovendien combineert Kora World op prachtige wijze de eeuwenoude griottraditie met de dringende zorgen van onze moderne wereld. De expressieve composities van Maher Cissoko illustreren de transformerende kracht van muziek en bieden een vat voor verandering, genezing en eenheid. Het hele album door worden de boeiende kora en zang vakkundig bijgestaan door subtiele percussie." (World Music Central)
"Kimi Djabaté (1975) is a Bissau-Guinean Afro-beat/blues musician. Based out of Lisbon, Portugal, he continues to be one of the contemporary links in a chain of West African music that extends back in time hundreds of years. Djabaté was born into a poor but musically accomplished family in Tabato, Guinea-Bissau. His interest in music started at the age of three when he started playing the balafon, the African xylophone, quickly learning other traditional instruments. In his pre-teens he left home to Sonako to study the kora. This helped him in the future by subsequently developing his guitar playing ability. His talent as a musician became much more than a childhood hobby for Djabaté as he was required to play at local ceremonies to help contribute to the family income. He was also interested in popular African genres such as the local dance music style gumbé, Nigerian Afrobeat, Cape Verdean morna, not to mention western jazz and blues, all of which have influenced his music." (Wikipedia)
"I have to admit that I haven’t quite been enamoured by any instrument quite like I have with the kora. It soothes me in a way that is almost indescribable. Whilst I have heard the kora fused together with numerous other sounds, from pop to qawwali, there is something rather cleansing about hearing the instrument played with such mastery in a stripped back manner. Malamini Jobarteh and Dembo Konte really show off the intricacy with which the instrument can be played, with the latter actually expanding its range by adding extra bass strings to the classic 21-string model." (200worldalbums.com)
In de serie Mali Stars verscheen eerder al een cd van Ami Koita. Yayi Kanoute is ook een Malinese zangeres, afkomstig uit een familie van griots.
Djeli Moussa Diawara (also known as Jali Musa Jawara) is born in a family of griots. His father was a balafon player, and his mother a singer. His half-brother, they share the same mother, is Mory Kanté. He then became a 'jali' or 'djeli', a mandingo word for griot. He learned to play the balafon, the kora and the guitar. At 18, he went to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire where he played with his half-brother who was leading the legendary Rail Band. Starting his solo career, he worked with Djenne Doumbia, a great singer who later joined Salif Keita's group. In 1983, he recorded his first LP, "Yasimika" which was considered to be a great piece of African music. Then, he left for Paris. He released his "Flamenkora" album in 1998, offering a rich blend of styles, from his Mandingo roots to Flamenco. About 2000 he founded Kora Jazz Trio, with Abdoulaye Diabaté (piano) and Moussa Cissoko (drums). He composed most of the tracks and they released three albums (Part I, II & III). (Discogs)|
Malang Cissokho is een koraspeler uit Senegal en afkomstig uit een familie van zgn griots: musici en verhalenvertellers die de tradities en verhalen van het West-Afrikaanse Manding volk levendig houden. In 1989 verhuisde Cissokho naar Helsinki en nam m.m.v. Hanna Sahu deze cd op. In een aantal nummers zijn dan ook Westerse invloeden hoorbaar. (TH)|
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