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Read More Imagine this: American Eric Bibb and Mali's biggest pop star Habib Koité teams up to play the most interest traditional and contemporary blues...…
What I can tell you about this duo is that Ballaké Sissoko is known for his kora-playing skills and that Vincent Segal is the one with the cello....…
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In the last week, I have enjoyed two different shows in which one of the main performers was from the West African country of Mali. The first was Habib Koité and Eric Bibb at the Dakota Jazz Club on February 26th. The second was Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal at the Cedar Cultural Center on March 8th. Both shows had an intimate feel with an older audience, incredible sound quality, and artists that did not fail to show their depth, passion, and joy.
Brothers in Bamako Habib Koité and Eric Bibb are two guitar playing soulful, passionate, and spiritual artists who create beautiful music together. Koite’s guitar style is drawn from his Malian ancestry, as well as rock and folk sounds. Bibb has a deep, soulful, blues voice and while their styles are different, they meld perfectly together. The concert was relaxed and intimate with a lot of story telling which gave the audience a view into how the songs of the artists come to life through experience. They were clearly enjoying their time on stage, dancing, joking, and jamming together throughout the performance.
Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal were touring for their second album together At Peace. Sissoko plays the Kora; a 21-string bridge harp instrument used extensively in West Africa and Segal is a French cellist. As I listened to the music they made together, I was moved, awe-inspired, and grateful to be hearing them play live. It was a pure joy because it’s in the live listening of them that the music truly moves and really comes alive. In both of these shows, I loved feeling immersed in a new type of music from a different culture. It was pure joy.
Brothers in Bamako Habib Koité and Eric Bibb are two guitar playing soulful, passionate, and spiritual artists who create beautiful music together. Koite’s guitar style is drawn from his Malian ancestry, as well as rock and folk sounds. Bibb has a deep, soulful, blues voice and while their styles are different, they meld perfectly together. The concert was relaxed and intimate with a lot of story telling which gave the audience a view into how the songs of the artists come to life through experience. They were clearly enjoying their time on stage, dancing, joking, and jamming together throughout the performance.
Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal were touring for their second album together At Peace. Sissoko plays the Kora; a 21-string bridge harp instrument used extensively in West Africa and Segal is a French cellist. As I listened to the music they made together, I was moved, awe-inspired, and grateful to be hearing them play live. It was a pure joy because it’s in the live listening of them that the music truly moves and really comes alive. In both of these shows, I loved feeling immersed in a new type of music from a different culture. It was pure joy.
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Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (03/09/13) |
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