WMI Plus At Home: Ballake Sissoko
Join WMI Plus at Home as we welcome acclaimed Malian kora player and griot, Ballaké Sissoko at his home studio. Sissoko has worked with Toumani Diabaté and Taj Mahal, French cellist Vicent Segal and is a member of the group 3MA. After taking his father s place in Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali at the age of 13, Sissoko has been touring the world ever since. Serving as a musical ambassador to his homeland and bringing the sound of the kora to a wider audience. Ballake will share stories and music as well as answer questions from attendees.
Ballaké Sissoko: picking up the pieces after US customs broke his kora Dale Berning Sawa
In the Malian language Bamanankan,
djourou – the title of Ballaké Sissoko’s forthcoming album – means string. “It’s the string that connects me to others,” he says. For this master of the kora, it is also the string that broke.
Last February, Sissoko returned to Paris after a US tour with his trio 3MA to find that border officials in New York had dismantled his kora. The neck, bridge, strings and custom-built pickup had been removed from the body, made of calabash and parchment. The instrument was beyond repair, and made headlines around the world.
Ballaké Sissoko: A Beginner s Guide songlines.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from songlines.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.