Ballaké Sissoko
Ballaké Sissoko | |
|---|---|
 Sissoko (left) performing with 3MA during a concert in Cartagena, Spain. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1968 |
| Origin | Mali |
| Genres | World |
| Instruments | Kora |
| Labels | Indigo Records, Six Degrees Records |
| Associated acts | |
Ballaké Sissoko (born 1968) is a Malian player of the kora. He has worked with Toumani Diabaté and Taj Mahal, and is a member of the group 3MA with Driss El Maloumi and Rajery.
Biography[]
Ballaké's father, Djelimady Sissoko, was a notable musician from the Gambia in his own right[1] who moved to Mali and was funded by the government to be part of the national orchestra.[2] Sissoko started playing music at a young age, as most born into the jeli or griot caste do.[3] In 1981, when he was 13, Sissoko's father died, and he took his father's place within the Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali.[2] He also performed with several prominent female singers before coming to fame through his duet with Toumani Diabaté in 1999.[4] In 2000, he formed the trio with an n'goni player and a balafon player.
His 2005 album, Tomora, features Toumani Diabaté on kora, singers and Rokia Traoré and , violin soloist of the Mali National Instrumental Ensemble.
His record Chamber Music released in October 2009 was the result of a collaboration with Vincent Ségal, a classical cellist known for his work with , and was released by French label No Format! and the U.S. label Six Degrees Records.
He released a solo album, At Peace, in 2013. Ségal produced the album and plays on several tracks.
Sissoko's custom-made kora was broken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2020 when he travelled from New York to Paris.[5] His album Djourou in 2021, also released by No Format, was named after this event.[2]
Discography[]
- 1998 - Kora Music from Mali KOra-Solo Album (bibiafrica records)
- 1999 - New Ancient Strings with Toumani Diabaté (Hannibal-Ryko / Harmonia Mundi)
- 2000 - Déli (Label Bleu/Indigo)
- 2003 - Diario Mali (Label Ponderosa) with Ludovico Einaudi
- 2005 - Tomora (Label Bleu/Indigo)
- 2009 - Chamber Music (No Format!/Six Degrees) with Vincent Segal
- 2011 - Humbling Tides (Talitres Records / No Format!) with
- 2013 - At Peace
- 2015 - Musique de Nuit (Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal album)
- 2021 - Djourou[2]
References[]
- ^ World Music Central
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Ballaké Sissoko: picking up the pieces after US customs broke his kora". the Guardian. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2009-01-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ http://www.musicme.com/#/Ballake-Sissoko/biographie/
- ^ "Mali musician Ballake Sissoko claims US customs broke instrument". BBC. 2020-02-06.
External links[]
- Calabash Music Profile
- http://www.noformat.net/BALLAKE+SISSOKO+%26AMP;+VINCENT+SEGAL-CHAMBER+MUSIC-medias.html
| hide Authority control  | |
|---|---|
| General |
|
| National libraries | |
| Other | |
  | This Malian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
 | This article on an African musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- Malian musicians
- 1968 births
- Living people
- Label Bleu artists
- Six Degrees Records artists
- Harmonia Mundi artists
- Malian people stubs
- African musician stubs