Malian kora virtuoso Ballaké Sissoko has released the title track of his forthcoming album ‘Djourou‘ out on April 9, 2021. Among those featured on the album are Camille, Feu! Chatterton, Oxmo Puccino, Patrick Messina, Piers Faccini, Salif Keita, Sona Jobarteh and Vincent Segal.
For Djourou’s title track, Sissoko is joined by leading female kora player Sona Jobarte, together they deliver an intoxicating and intuitive performance with an almost jazz-like call and response opener which builds and soars. A graceful musical exploration on which Sona’s vocals shine; sheer poetry.
This invitation on the album was Ballaké’s way of uniting the generations of kora players and reconnecting
with their common forebears.
Born into a Griot family from the Gambia, a tradition that dates back 7 centuries, Sona is the first female within this tradition to become a professional virtuoso on the Kora. Her mastering of western classical and West African music has seen her scoring film soundtracks (Motherland) as well as being commissioned for works which extend that exploration of western and African music. In 2019, her composition, titled ‘Innovation Through Preservation‘ was premiered at the South Bank’s renowned Purcell Room, in London and was aired on the BBC.
Pre-Order Djourou: https://idol.lnk.to/Djourou