New Ancient Strings

[Carl]

Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko... (master Cora players if you didn't already know)

I happen to be listening to it right now, and I just need to do a shout out for "Bafoulabe" Beautiful piece of art!!!

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

C

[James]

thanks for the inspiration, I'm listening to it right now on Spotify.

[Carl]

Hmmm... Spotify, never heard of it before now.

Just Googled it, and bookmarked for further research...

Thanks James.

[e2c]

Carl - Spotify is only available to people living in the UK and (I guess!) Ireland. You could try Deezer and/or Grooveshark, though...

I'd highly recommend the original Ancient Strings CD as well (featuring these guys' dads and others): http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/mus ... trings.htm

[bubudi]

i second e2c's suggestion. ancient strings is by far my favourite recording of kora music. i also keep coming back to toumani's kaira cd.

[Carl]

Yes, the original Ancient Strings is amazing!

I have to admit that lately I've been into the "newer" style, busier with more variations. The Mande Variations was in my car CD player forever this spring/summer....

I am also very fond of the recording of Jack De Johnette and Foday Musa Suso (drumset and cora!) "Music from the Heart of the Masters". Not sure exactly how I'd describe it (Foday uses a lot of "multi-track" techniques... I'm not sure if he did it in the studio or with a loop pedal?) Generally I'm not a big fan of Foday's playing, but this cd rocks!

@Bubudi... thanks for the reminder... I think I'll put Kaira on!

C

PS: ACK Kaira isn't on my computer!!!! All of my CDs are in storage as I am going to move soon... guess I'll have to make due with Djelika (another old favorite of mine...)

[e2c]

Carl - I like the older style + newer material, too. It's so interesting to see and hear the development of that whole "stream" of music - and the kora is such a beautiful instrument.

[bubudi]

seckou keita is another great player of the kora. i like how he mixes old and new, and adds arabic and western influences for extra colour.

[James]

Yea seckou's cool. There is 3 or 4 tracks on his website seckou keita.com

[bubudi]

petit adama diarra is also a great korofola, as well as an awesome djembefola. also a great guitarist and balafola. he's also quite partial to the arabo-mande melange.