- Audio CD (22 Jan 2001)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Label Bleu
- ASIN: B000050XJ0
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 327,600 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Famade |
| 2. Detigiou |
| 3. Deli |
| 4. Baya Baya |
| 5. Da Monson |
| 6. Improvisation I |
| 7. Saratikan |
| 8. Talasa |
| 9. Kouroutoukéléfa |
| 10. Lan Banba |
| 11. Improvisation I |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The kora is West Africa's answer to the European harp, and wonderfully beguiling it is: it was with this that generations of Mande kings were soothed by their minstrels, and the list of virtuosi is long. This album from Mali's newest kora star--who first came to prominence by duetting with kora king Toumani Diabate--is the quintessence of easy listening. Ballake Sissoko plays with lazy warmth, and he's accompanied by young players on other Malian instruments which have a comparable pedigree. Adama Tounkara plays the lute-like ngoni, and Fassery Diabate the balafon, a wooden xylophone with a distinctive slapping effect. Mama Draba, their singer, has a sweetly insinuating, almost feline, tone. The group virtuosity is unshowy but intricate, as the melodic lines interweave and interact; the acoustic purity is unsullied by electronics. Moreover, this is neither a field recording nor a formal concert, but something deliciously in between: listen on a cold winter night, and feel the sun reaching in. --Michael Church
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful ensemble piece,
By
This review is from: Deli (Audio CD)
I know Ballake Sissoko from his work with Toumani Diabate on New Ancient Strings - a project in which these musicians reprised duets performed by their fathers a generation previously. Both musicians therefore have an equally impressive pedigree, but they have very different styles. Toumani is a renewer whose brilliant virtuosity has made him the better known; Ballake is arguably less "showy", more respectful of his traditions and background. If Toumani's improvisations are nothing short of jazz, Ballake's approach is more akin to chamber music.On this CD the role and importance of kamela'ngoni, balafon and vocals is equal to the kora, and Sissoko is content to sit back and let the other musicians perform: his is the best known name - hence "on the box" - but Adama Tounkara and Fassery Diabate should really be equally credited. This results in a warm, organic, traditional sound; beautifully balanced and with an unhurried flow. This is how it's meant to sound... This CD has more in common with Toumani Diabate's Djelika than New Ancient Strings. Let's hope that this release isn't forgotten in the wake of these other CDs. Anyone interested in the kora, who has come to this music from whatever direction, should get hold of this CD.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear,Sparkling,Pure.Full of Spirit/Warmth....Simple!,
By
This review is from: Deli (Audio CD)
I bought it having come across Toumani Diabate with Ballake Sissoko on New Ancient Strings.That is beautiful,and invites playing.... When,many months later Deli arrived, I'd forgotton that it was on order! Having listened to it through a number of times it rates alongside that album.I'm not an expert on Mali music....but this will do for me!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new take on old-fashioned griot music,
By Bruce Whitehouse - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Deli (Audio CD)
Fans of West African kora music may be familiar with "New Ancient Strings," the wonderful duet recording made by two Malian kora virtuosos in the late 1990s. One of the players on that session, Toumani Diabate, is certainly the most famous kora player alive today, and has made a slew of recordings in his own name and in collaboration with nearly every major Malian musician, as well as some Western ones (Taj Mahal and Bruce Cockburn to name just two).The other player, Ballake Sissoko, is much less well-known, but with "Deli" he demonstrates that he's Toumani's equal in many respects. His playing is just as magical, and on this disc he adds other colors to his musical palate. The kora, balafon (marimba), and ngoni (lute) make up the "big three" of traditional griot instruments, and on this disc they are joined by the bolon, another kind of Malian harp with a deep bass sound. All the musicians in Sissoko's small ensemble are amazing players, and the blend they achieve is marvelous. This recording may lack the lush reverberation that marked "New Ancient Strings"--it was recorded in a studio instead of a hall--but its crisp sound allows the other instruments to come into their own. Sissoko varies his arrangements so as to cover a range of different sounds. His wife Mama Draba contributes vocals on three of the 11 tracks; one track is solo kora, while another is a kora-balafon duet; the remaining six feature the instrumental quartet. It makes for more diverse and engaging listening than Toumani Diabate's "Djelika" (which featured his trio of kora/balafon/ngoni). "Deli" is a must for kora-lovers, and makes a great complement to "New Ancient Strings." It's ironic that instrumental recordings like those that we have previously heard from Diabate and Sissoko, and which are considered by many as the epitome of "traditional" West African music, aren't widely listened to in their home country. Malians generally prefer to hear singers, not kora, balafon or anything else, as the musical centerpiece. "Deli," with its mix of stylings both vocal and instrumental, might be an effort to gain a wider audience in Mali. I hope it succeeds in that respect. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous Family Traditions,
By Friederike Knabe - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Deli (Audio CD)
Under Ballaké Sissoke's fingers the kora's twenty one strings come alive with inimitable resonant sounds in a way that few can match. This unique harp-like instrument of the Mandigue people has its roots in the 15th century. It is best learned at a young age as it takes tremendous skill to master it and mature talent to create the complex compositions designed for it. Cascading sounds of the kora blending into gentle melodies are inviting the other three instruments to explore the tunes and rhythms. It reminds me of a jazz jam session. The harmony between the musicians is evident.
The pieces, all arranged by Sissoko, show great variety in beat and mood. The accompaying musicians on "Déli" are well known soloists in their own right - two are also sons of famous musician fathers. They play the ngoni and the balafon. Both these instruments have an even longer tradition than the kora, being mentioned in the 12th century - the time of Soundiata Keïta, founder of the great Mandingue empire. Sissoko and his friends successfully bring the sounds of traditional Mali music into modern times. The majority of the pieces are instrumental: kora solo, kora and balafon or compositions for all four instruments. Three songs feature Sissoko`s wife Mama Draba. Less known internationally than Oumou Sangaré or Kandia Kouyaté, her strong voice resonates with traditional "griot" stories and beautifully complements the sounds of the instruments. Ballake Sissoko, distant cousin of Toumani Diabaté, and like him, a son of one of the great kora musicians of Mali, has distinguished himself as a virtuoso musician. Fans of kora music like "New Ancient Strings", which features the two masters of the younger generation, will want to add "Déli" to their collection. Highly recommended for newcomers to West African music too. [Friederike Knabe] 1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
beautiful,
By Germaine - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Deli (Audio CD)
I don't know much about African music - but this is definitely an album that everyone can enjoy.
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