LA NUIT DE LA KORA WITH SECKOU KEITA AND ZAL SISSOKHO

Préstige Series, presented by Radio VM

Seckou Keita and Zal Sissokho personify all the values that the majestic kora embodies and keep the rich West African cultural traditions alive. Soothing, entrancing and beautiful.

Seckou Keita is a “virtuoso of the kora, which he loves to make resonate in audacious musical conversations” (RFI Musique, 2017). He has collaborated with the likes of Cuban jazzman Omar Sosa (with whom he played in Montreal, in early May) and Welsh harpist Catrin Finch. One of his compositions was also sampled by megastar Robbie Williams. This spring will see the release of African Rhapsodies, in which Keita combines traditional West African music with orchestral music. Originally from Ziguinchor in Senegal and now living in Britain, Seckou Keita has been dubbed the “Hendrix of the Kora.” To be able to cover more octaves, he added an extra string to his kora, which, as legend would have it, was taken from the first griot in the time of Soundjata Keita.

While Montrealer Zal Sissokho is a griot, that’s not the case for Seckou Keita, even though his mother and Zal both descend from the same linage. Nevertheless, the two artists share a similar approach and are driven by the same desire for the respectful exploration and meeting of cultures. Zal Sissokho, who has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, is recognized for his musical projects that stray from the beaten path, like Kora Flamenca or Famalé, complete with Brazilian inflections.