Ba Cissoko - Seno
2009

Brought to you by TQMP
The Quality Music Project

Like the kora played by its eponymous leader, the music made by Ba Cissoko is graceful, rooted in tradition and, much of the time, quietly spoken. It's also forward and outward looking: on Seno, second kora player Sekou Kouyate continues his imaginative exploration of effects pedals, and guest guitarist Abdoulaye Kouyate, who is heard on most tracks, generally favours a fuzzed-up, though understated and lyrically inclined, electric instrument.

Abdoulaye Kouyate's contribution is the element which most overtly distinguishes the new album from its immediate predecessor, Electric Griot Land (Totolo, 2006). On that album, Cissoko's kora was as frequently heard in counterpoint with Sekou Kouyate's balafon (marimba) as it was with his electric kora. On Seno, the balafon, played by guest artist Karamoko Bangoura, is heard on only one track, "Conakry," a pretty love song to Guinea's capital. While effects-driven electric guitar is an engaging part of Seno's overall sound, some listeners may hope that the sidelining of the balafon is only temporary.

Other developments include the absorption of Latin and Iberian musics—the salsa tinged arrangement of the title tune features some nimble flamenco-esque acoustic guitar—and, over about half the album, tempos which are significantly brisker than those used on Electric Griot Land. Reggae influences, present on the earlier album, are heard again, on the neo-dub touches to "Bambo" and "Nina," and the chopping acoustic guitar on "Chauffeur Taxi." The disc closes with the kora duet "Soumou," as lovely as a spring morning.

The sound is homespun and samples free; it's respectful of the tradition it comes from—Ba Cissoko and his cousins Sekou and bassist Ibrahima Kourou Kouyate come from a long line of Guinean griots—but is not overburdened by it. Relying not at all on post-production artifice, the music works as well live as it does in the studio, and Ba Cissoko have already made a significant international impact on tours alongside artists like Nigerian Afrobeat originator Fela Anikulapo Kuti's son, Femi. Seno is certain to extend that wider following.

Ba Cissoko's music doesn't force itself upon you. Rather, it embraces you gently, like a friend. And as with a good friend, the listener feels happier for the meeting.
-- AllAboutJazz

Tracks
01- Seno
02- Badinia
03- Bambo
04- Yadou
05- Conakry
06- Africa dance
07- Chauffeur taxi
08- Nina
09- Tamo
10- Gambie
11- Music
12- Soumou

Artwork, EAC log and CUE sheet included.

Audio format: FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) 
http://flac.sourceforge.net/index.html 

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