Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto

Ablaye Cissoko

Over the past 20 years, Ablaye Cissoko has become one of the foremost players of the kora, the West African double harp. He sings in the tradition of the 'griots' or storytellers, from which he descends. Particularly fragile, warm and deeply felt is his recent album Instant , which he made with the French accordionist Cyrille Brotto. 'A gem', according to Songlines Magazine . 'The accordion adds a melancholic, almost Celtic undertone to Cissoko's elegant arpeggios.'

Cyrille Brotto

The Senegalese Ablaye Cissoko previously formed a surprising duo with trumpeter Volker Goetze, with whom he made three albums. He also worked with Randy Weston, Eric Bibb and the Constantinople Ensemble, among others. Cyrille Brotto specializes in the diatonic accordion and has been a familiar face in French folk music for years. Tonight, Ablaye Cissoko and Cyrile Brotto make the connection between Southern French folk and the Mandingo tradition from West Africa.