Operating as a funding source for a community space in the village of Gohouo-Zagna, Davorio is a collaborative experiment between Italian polyhedric musician Samuele Strufaldi and Ivorian artist Boris Pierrou. Watch an exclusive premiere of the track “Tutte le cose dentro” on PAM.
The journey of Davorio starts in Florence, the north of Italy, where Samuele Strufaldi and Boris Pierrou met. The former is a polyhedric artist, shining with instruments such as the piano and the saxophone, and mastering other arts like painting and sculpting. The latter is an excelling djembe player, born and raised in the village of Gohouo-Zagna, on the eastern side of Ivory Coast. In 2019, Samuele was invited to fly back to Gohouo-Zagna with Boris. Wanting to “enrich [his] creative world through relations with other people and cultures,” Strufaldi met upon arrival with the unique pool of talents playing Guéré music in the village. Then, Pierrou shared his plan to build a library and community space in his native village and to give its inhabitants a place to flourish through their artistry for the long run.
In order to help make the dream happen, Strufaldi and Pierrou came up with the idea of an album. All of its profits would fund the library project. After the creation of an NGO and a memorable recording session, Strufaldi headed back to Italy with raw, unfiltered audio ready to be explored and embellished. And that’s how – with the help of Musica Macondo Records – the 15 tracks of Davorio were born. The album unveils impressive vocal gems blended with sax riffs and lush electronic. Moreover, the music never loses its Guéré roots, marked by the powerful beat of traditional percussive instruments. The djembe and the sax answer each other, as the voices recount the history of the village, and teach lessons on happiness, love, and God. One of the songs is even dedicated to Gianna, Pierrou’s wife.
Ultimately, the album is an ode to the village itself, and its future. The proceeds from Davorio could lead to more albums, and a lot more talents reaching broader audiences through their gifts.
Davorio is out May 5th via Musica Macondo Records. Visit the fundraising page for more info.
