Chamber Music (Six Degrees Records) is a collaboration between Ballaké Sissoko, who plays the traditional kora, a lute-harp from Mali, and Vincent Ségal, the French cellist who plays for the trip-hop band Bumcello. The album is set for release on January 11, 2011.

Both musicians have displayed an aptitude for defying expectations – the list of trip-hop cellists is pretty short, after all. And Ballaké Sissoko has become a familiar name on the world music scene through his work with American blues legend Taj Mahal and Italian minimalist Ludovico Einaudi, among others. The collaboration grew out of a personal friendship, and at no point was there an attempt to produce a record that would be slick and hip and commercial.

Chamber Music is largely a duo project, with the occasional guest adding percussion, voice or other strings to vary the texture.

Chamber Music was recorded in the Moffou Studio, founded by the great Malian singer Salif Keita to provide a world-class environment for musicians wishing to record acoustic African music.

the duo will be in the US with a couple performances:

01/07/2011, Fri
Cambridge, MA
First Church Congregational, 11 Garden Street
Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 617.547.2724

01/09/2011, Sun
New York, NY
globalFEST 2011 @ Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street
Tickets: $35/$40
Venue Ph: 212.614.0420
Tickets Ph: 212.545.7536