Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.
Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal: Chamber Music (Six Degrees Records, 1/11/11)
Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal: “Histoire de Molly”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/05-ballake_sissoko_vincent_segal-histoire_de_molly.mp3|titles=Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Ségal: “Histoire De Molly”]Six Degrees Records begins 2011 with a wonderful collaboration between West African kora player Ballaké Sissoko and French cellist Vincent Ségal, simply titled Chamber Music. Geared toward reimagining a genre closely associated with the days of études and opuses, the record successfully fuses African classical with Western classical music.
One of the best traditional kora musicians (the kora being West Africa’s 21-string, long-neck harp lute), Sissoko has released more collaborative projects than solo works, keen on showing the instrument’s adaptability to the modern world. In his collaboration with Ségal, known best as the cellist for the French trip-hop group Bumcello, Sissoko has found a new avenue in which to showcase this West African griot tradition.