Vincent Segal & Ballake Sissoko

Friday, May 06, 2011

“Chamber Music,” the quietly elegant record from 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, came about because Sissoko approached Segal after a Chocolate Genius show.  Following improvisatory leads, they wrote intimate and warm global chamber music, which sounds like it came about in the still of the night. 

For this New Sounds, they visit the studio to perform some of the tunes from “Chamber Music” AND treat us to one that did not appear on the record: “Nyan'dou.”  It’s a traditional melody often-played in Bamako that goes off into a Senegalese style.  Other selections that we'll hear have come about due to influences as disparate as Don Cherry, Randy Weston, West African griots, Tricky, the Philly Sound and above all, Sissoko’s and Segal’s friendship, including a piece inspired by the soccer club that both of their sons play for.

PROGRAM #        3202, with Vincent Segal and Ballake Sissoko (First aired on 5/6/11)                                                         

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Ségal	Chamber Music	Wo Yé N'gnougobine, excerpt [1:00]	Six Degrees Records #1171 or via Amazon.com* or download from eMusic.com
Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabate	Mali Music	Niger [3:52]	Astralwerks #41019
Ballaké Sissoko & Toumani Diabate	New Ancient Strings	Bi Lambam [4:58]	Rykodisc/Hannibal #1428 Available at Amazon.com* or eMusic.com
Sidiki Diabaté, Djelimady Sissoko	Ancient Strings	Sunjata [4:12]	Buda Musique 1977822 Available as an import at Amazon.com
Ballaké Sissoko, Vincent Ségal	Live, WNYC Studios, May 2011	Chamber Music [4:30] Nyan'dou[6:30] Mama FC [4:05]	Two appear on “Chamber Music,” but not "Nyan'dou." See above.
Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabate	Mali Music	4 AM at Toumani's [3:06]	See above.
Ballaké Sissoko & Toumani Diabate	New Ancient Strings	Salaman [6:14]	See above.