Trio Da Kali

As far as Celtic Connections international musical collaborations go, the evening concert with Mali’s Trio Da Kali and special guests was fabulously varied and richly rewarding, fully utilising the alchemic opportunities that come from bringing different music traditions and cultures together.

Ladilikan is a bold fusion of the musical traditions from the West courtesy of Kronos Quartet and those of Africa, via Trio Da Kali on which Western tempered scale instruments blend seamlessly with traditional African instruments, creating a wonderful musical hybrid that is engaging, fascinating and irresistible.

In what was sure to be one of the most memorable collaborative events of Celtic Connections, kora master Toumani Diabaté and his Symmetric Orchestra teamed up with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for a special arrangement of his masterpiece of solo kora, The Mande Variations.