Ballaké Sissoko - au Centquatre

Coming from a long line, this Malian subtly renovates the approach of the #kora.

New old string, the title of the opus he signed with Toumani Diabaté, undoubtedly gives the tune of his intentions. Attached to its age-old tradition, Ballaké Sissoko flirts with music from around the world, from Ross Daly to Guillaume Orti, filters these influences through the sieve of his experience. Such is the stake of his recent "At Peace", recorded with the immense double bassist Kent Carter, in Angoulême, under the benevolent listening of the cellist Vincent Ségal, his partner invited (as usual) to join him on stage.

J.Denis https://www.journal-laterrasse.fr/bal...

Ballaké Sissoko (born 1968) is a Malian player of the kora. He has worked with Toumani Diabaté and Taj Mahal, and is a member of the group 3MA with Driss El Maloumi and Rajery.
Ballaké's father, Djelimady Sissoko, was a notable musician in his own right. Sissoko started playing music at a young age, as most born into the griot caste do. He played in the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali, and then with several prominent female singers before coming to fame through his duet with Toumani Diabaté in 1999. In 2000, he formed the trio Mande Tabolo with an n'goni player and a balafon player.
His 2005 album, Tomora, features Toumani Diabaté on kora, singers Alboulkadri Barry and Rokia Traoré and Fanga Diawara, violin soloist of the Mali National Instrumental Ensemble.
His record Chamber Music released in October 2009 is the result of a collaboration with Vincent Ségal, a classical cellist known for his work with Bumcello, and was released by French label No Format! and the U.S. label Six Degrees Records.
He released a solo album, At Peace, in 2013. Ségal produced the album and plays on several tracks.
Sissoko's custom-made kora was broken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2020 when he travelled from New York to Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballak%...