#4989, Music Rooted in Africa
Hear the elegant duo of Ballaké Sissoko, who plays the traditional kora, a lute-harp from Mali, and Vincent Ségal, the French cellist, from their stunning debut album, Chamber Music. Also, an arrangement by South African guitarist Derek Gripper of the same title track, “Chamber Music”, for six-stringed guitar. Also, there’s music from the late Camerounian guitarist, novelist, singer, flutist, percussionist, and musicologist Francis Bebey.
Then, listen to Sissoko and Segal in collaboration with another duo, Vincent Peirani (accordion) and Émile Parisien (sax). Together, on Les Egarés, (The wandering), their music is "neither jazz, nor trad, nor chamber, nor avant-garde, but a bit of all of them, all at once" (Bandcamp liner notes.)
Hear graceful music for oud, cello, piano, bass in a quartet led by Tunisian musician and composer Anouar Brahem, from the 2025 album, After The Last Sky. The album is titled after a line of verse by poet Mahmoud Darwish, which asks “Where should the birds fly, after the last sky?” Listen to solo guitar music from Australian musician, bassist, and bandleader Cameron Undy, whose fascination with ancient rhythms of the African diaspora brought about his Ghost Frequency project.
Then, it’s music from Ausecuma Beats (formed as a combination of musicians from Australia, the Senegambia region, Cuba, and Mali) a group led by master djembe player, Boubacar Gaye. The nine-person band is people from all corners of the world finding themselves together in new environments, as a community. Listen to music from their album, Musso. And more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4989, Music Rooted in Africa (First aired 3/19/2025)
ARTIST: Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal
WORK: Chamber Music [5:31]
RECORDING: Chamber Music
SOURCE: Six Degrees Records
INFO: sixdegreesrecords.com
ARTIST: Francis Bebey
WORK: West African Suite [7:25]
RECORDING:Nandolo / With Love
SOURCE: Original Musi
INFO: Try auction sites or Discogs.com
ARTIST: Derek Gripper
WORK: Chamber Music [5:34]
RECORDING: One Night on Earth Music from the strings of Mali
SOURCE: New Cape Records NC11
INFO: newcape.co.za | derekgripper.com
ARTIST: Sissoko Segal Parisien Peirani
WORK: Ta Nyé [4:30]
RECORDING: Les Égarés
SOURCE: ACT Music
INFO: https://sissokosegalparisienpeirani.bandcamp.com | https://www.actmusic.com
ARTIST: Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland
WORK: After the Last Sky [5:42]
RECORDING: After the Last Sky
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: https://ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Derek Gripper
WORK: Jarabi (Passion) [6:39]
RECORDING: One Night on Earth Music from the strings of Mali
SOURCE: New Cape Records NC11
INFO: newcape.co.za | derekgripper.com
ARTIST: Cameron Undy
WORK: Ghost [7:07]
RECORDING: Ghost Frequency
SOURCE: Earshift Music
INFO: https://cameronundy.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-frequency
ARTIST: Ausecuma Beats
WORK: Yarra [5:04]
RECORDING: Musso
SOURCE: Music in Exile
INFO: https://ausecumabeats.bandcamp.com/album/musso
