{"id":77413,"date":"2021-04-09T10:39:02","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T09:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/ballake-sissoko-le-koraiste-universel\/"},"modified":"2021-09-20T10:11:54","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T08:11:54","slug":"ballake-sissoko-the-worlds-kora-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/ballake-sissoko-the-worlds-kora-player\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballak\u00e9 Sissoko, the one and the many \u2013 the world\u2019s kora player"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\"> The West African jalis, also known as griots, are \u2013 as we well know \u2013 a caste of musical artists. They are the masters of the word, sentinels of universal values, preservers of oral tradition, perveyors of all types of mediation, and users metaphors and proverbs to illustrate their stories. Son of Djelimady Sissoko, Ballak\u00e9 Sissoko was only thirteen in 1981 when he joined the well reknowned Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali (created in 1961) in which his late father had also played. When he took over from his father in the legendary musical group, the teenager already had a solid knowledge of the kora and a head full of wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the age of 23, he resigned from the Ensemble Instrumental to follow his own path. Since then his solo career has been far from lonely, as Ballak\u00e9 is so fond of meeting new people. He has never forgotten the Bambara proverb that says: &#8220;when birds fly in a group, you can hear the music of their wing beats.\u2019 In other parts of the world, we\u2019d say something like: &#8220;strength in unity.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To gather, to unite and to highlight the uniqueness of diversity. That is <em>Djourou<\/em>\u2019s mission, the fourth album from our Malian maestro on the label <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/no-format\/\">No Format<\/a>. To weave this chord or rope (&#8220;djourou&#8221; in Malink\u00e9) connecting him to his fellow human beings, Ballak\u00e9 has invited some unique guests, calling upon the voices of Salif K\u00e9\u00efta, Oxmo Puccino, Camille, Arthur Teboul and his friends from the group Feu! Chatterton. After the success of his two duet albums with collaborator Vincent S\u00e9gal, and after his time in a trio with the Moroccan Driss El Maloumi and Madagascan Rajery, Ballak\u00e9 shows once again how much he excels in the art of musical conversation, bringing together artists from the most diverse of backgrounds for unique and resolutely poetic meetings, centred around the kora. S\u00e9gal of course also appears on the album with clarinettist Patrick Messina for a Euro-Mandinkan adaptation of Berlioz\u2019s <em>Symphonie Fantastique<\/em>. Before its release, PAM spoke to Ballak\u00e9 about his career and about what <em>Djourou<\/em> means to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Interview - Ballak\u00e9 Sissoko parle de son nouvel album DJOUROU\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hok2ow4GqFA?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption> Interview &#8211; Ballak\u00e9 Sissoko <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ballak\u00e9, the musical instrument you play is known as the kora. What is its name in the Bamanan language?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Bamanan or, let\u2019s say, in Madinkan, it is called a korimbato. Korimbato is actually the name of the calabash in the language of the Korin people. So korimbato is the Korin calabash, that is to say, the kora. So, its authentic name is korimbato. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OK so the korimbato or kora in question is the instrument you play in your music. Where did you learn to play it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I learned to play the kora in my family\u2019s backyard. How did I learn it there? I used to watch my father when he played. But my father wasn\u2019t my teacher. My teachers were my grandfather, my uncles Sidiki Diabat\u00e9 (Toumani Diabat\u00e9\u2019s father &#8211; ed.), N\u2019Fa Diabat\u00e9 and Batrou S\u00e9kou Kouyat\u00e9. I grew up with all of them. I learned to play mainly with the members of my wider family, not particularly with my father. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/58a1d2ca-ballake_sissoko-%C2%A9benoit_peverelli_2020_12-1010x1284.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77391\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>\u00a9Benoit Peverelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How come you didin\u2019t learn from him? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First I learnt to play alone, instinctively, by watching my father, and I knew I\u2019d never be deprived of his knowledge. You know in the Mand\u00e9 we say, \u2018the thing you have at home exists elsewhere\u2019. We are strongly advised to go and soak up what we can find in other places. By acquiring outside knowledge, then adding it to what you already have, you get a richer result. So I had to go out and find other members of the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You like to play solo, and <em>Djourou<\/em> has two such tracks. But you\u2019ve always liked working with other musicians, especially Vincent S\u00e9gal. Why do you like musical dialogue so much?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like this question a lot. What is it to be farsighted? Before I went elsewhere in the world, I first played with different artists at home in my country. I gained experience with these artists. Then I thought it would be wise to observe what\u2019s being done elsewhere, outside of my country, to immerse myself in it and see how knowledge from abroad could be combined with that of my country\u2019s in order to move my art forward. That doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m neglecting my musical roots, or that I\u2019ll forget them. It\u2019s not that at all. You know, having vision is about marrying different skills that can enrich any other skill. If you develop your abilities, it can only benefit you. That\u2019s being farsighted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/5bbf1900-ballake_sissoko-%C2%A9benoit_peverelli_2020_3-1010x1301.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77392\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>\u00a9Benoit Peverelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell us about the people you brought together in this project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, I don\u2019t cultivate short-term friendships. I prefer long-term ones. One of my first friendships here in Europe was with Vincent (S\u00e9gal). And through Vincent, I met Oxmo and Patrick. <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/sona-jobarteh\/\">Sona Jobarteh<\/a> is my niece. I also met Piers Faccini through Vincent. I owe all these friendships to one person: Vincent S\u00e9gal. And all this because we admire each other. It\u2019s sincerity that binds friendships together. And in that friendship there is understanding and collaboration. Vincent\u2019s also forged good relationships and collaborations through me. I benefited from his connections in Europe and he benefited from mine in Africa. I\u2019d already heard Camille\u2019s work (Vincent knows her well, by the way) and, like Arthur, it was through Laurent Bizot (producer and head of the No Format label &#8211; ed.) that I met them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On this new album you do a Salif K\u00e9\u00efta cover called \u201cGuelen\u201d. Why did you choose this particular song?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I discovered \u201cGuelen\u201d one day on one of his albums. I really liked the song. Since then I\u2019ve often played it solo in my concerts.<br>One day, before making <em>Djourou<\/em>, I went to visit Salif at his studio in Bamako. There were some students doing an internship with him. I told Salif that I liked \u201cGuelen\u201d so much that I would like to include it in my new album. He told me that I could cover his song and backed up his support with an image in Bambara, kounadj\u00e8 gui\u00e8-l\u00e9 l\u00e9\u00e9, ne fana gui\u00e8l\u00e9-l\u00e9 l\u00e9\u00e9 \u2013 my word is as clear as my light albino skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We both wanted to have a jam session right away. The guys in the studio got the microphones ready, and then Salif and I started to play \u201cGuelen\u201d.<br>Why did I cover this particular Salif song? First of all, because he\u2019s an elder who has done me a lot of favours. He\u2019s a star in Mali so I\u2019m delighted to be able to pay tribute to him by covering one of his works. You know, human interdependence isn\u2019t built in one day, it takes constant action. <br>Second, in Mandinkan culture, Guelen is an emblematic place where all of society\u2019s major issues are debated. It is the place of fair and honest speech, where truths come together. It is the place where disagreements are put aside to make room for the deep, immutable values of wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/49985fec-ballake_sissoko-%C2%A9benoit_peverelli_2020_1-1010x1288.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77394\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>\u00a9Benoit Peverelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We\u2019ve noticed how much you love to improvise. What makes you favour this style of playing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s just not that same here as in the West (the implication being, we don\u2019t have written scores in Mali &#8211; ed.). I started playing with Dj\u00e9li Mousso, Jali women. When you\u2019re a beginner you start off by sort of feeling your way around. When you start to play you have no reference points. So I started by feeling my way around. The orchestra can start playing and suddenly change scale. If you don\u2019t have a steady, attentive mind, you\u2019ll have trouble getting your bearings and finding your place. I have practised the exercise of adapting to the constant change of scale for many years. As a result, whatever the variations in a piece, I find my way around quite easily. And I have acquired this flexibility because in my country I\u2019ve played with various different ethnic groups: the Bobos, the Senoufos, the Mandinkas, the Peuls, the Koroboros. It is through this experience of diversity that I have learned to adapt. So, whatever the genre, I\u2019m rarely surprised. In each new situation I manage to get my bearings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your new record is called <em>Djourou<\/em> (rope or chord). Why did you choose this name? What does it mean to you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Djourou&#8221; is a metaphor for the union of those whom I have brought together so that we can be bound by the same ties in order to achieve something that points the way for everyone; that we may be united by a beautiful spirit, to fulfil the callings of those who gave us life.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Djourou,<\/em> available on <a href=\"https:\/\/idol.lnk.to\/Djourou\">all platforms<\/a> via No Format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-759x759.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-661x661.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-465x465.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-375x375.jpg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-85x85.jpg 85w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/d0802fd1-djourou-73x73.jpg 73w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The master of the kora has released a new album, Djourou, wherein which he beautifully demonstrates his art of musical conversation. From Oxmo Puccino to Camille and Salif Keita, Djourou tastefully brings together a myriad of artists, centred on the kora. PAM interviews the artist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":77343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7833,7835],"tags":[33178],"location":[8132],"yst_prominent_words":[8403,36815,36808,36807,8414,19330,8447,8933,36810,36809,8621,8435,9006,25652,33171,8543,28329,26539,36814,8545],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77413"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77413"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=77413"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=77413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}