Our Song of the Day is the stunningly beautiful Monde taken from Stranded Horse‘s (Yann Tambour) new album Luxe (“Luxury” in English), released back in January on Talitres, watch the video above which was written, edited and directed by eieio and Tambour.
The gap between this album and his 2011 Humbling Tides album is party explained by the itinerant composer/multi-instrumentalist’s travels which saw him temporarily settled in Dakar, Senegal, where he had undertaken a residency at the city’s French Institute.
Whilst there he had developed his own kora playing and teamed up with local player Boubacar Cissokho, the cousin and protege of erstwhile Tambour collaborator Ballake Sissoko. Together they toured allowing Tambour the opportunity of playing in an extended group taking in the two koras, Tambour’s classical acoustic guitar, two violinists and a cellist. He returned again to Senegal in 2013 undertaking further solo touring as he hauled his homemade koras across the world, gathering new friends and old records as he roamed across Western and Central Europe, Russia, Japan, China, the US and North Africa. It wasn’t until late 2013 that he began work on the next chapter of Luxe.
Throughout the album there are many contributing musicians which hint at his extended global travels and friends he has made along the way as well his African experiences and that strong creative force which drives him ever upwards. He has a passion and drive that’s not likely to see him settle down any time soon, I just hope the next release is sooner.