WOMAD I: Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal, Aziz Sahmaoui & the University of Gnawa | reviews, news & interviews
WOMAD I: Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal, Aziz Sahmaoui & the University of Gnawa
WOMAD I: Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal, Aziz Sahmaoui & the University of Gnawa
Musicians who shine brightly without outshining each other
Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Vincent Ségal and Ballaké Sissoko: neither of them plays to the gallery
Late on Friday night at WOMAD, on the more intimate Charlie Gillett Stage in Charlton Park, there was an unusual cross-cultural treat. Ballaké Sissoko is one of Mali’s most accomplished kora players: not as well known as his Bamako next-door neighbour Toumani Diabaté and more firmly rooted in Manding musical tradition, but undoubtedly in the same class. Vincent Ségal is a brilliant French cellist who moves with consummate ease from the classical repertoire to free jazz. They are both technical virtuosi but neither of them plays to the gallery.
Late on Friday night at WOMAD, on the more intimate Charlie Gillett Stage in Charlton Park, there was an unusual cross-cultural treat. Ballaké Sissoko is one of Mali’s most accomplished kora players: not as well known as his Bamako next-door neighbour Toumani Diabaté and more firmly rooted in Manding musical tradition, but undoubtedly in the same class. Vincent Ségal is a brilliant French cellist who moves with consummate ease from the classical repertoire to free jazz. They are both technical virtuosi but neither of them plays to the gallery.
Add comment
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more New music
The Great Escape Festival 2025, Brighton review - a feast of music from across the world
Hitting Saturday shows by deBasement, Dog Race, Chloe Leigh, Oh Dirty Fingers & more
Album: Robert Forster - Strawberries
The former Go-Betweens linchpin celebrates life’s quirks and temptations
Music Reissues Weekly: Chapterhouse - White House Demos
What the shoegazers were up to before they were categorised as shoegazers
Songlines Encounters, Kings Place review - West African and Anatolian magic
Setting the scene for a weekend of close musical encounters from across the globe
The Great Escape Festival 2025, Brighton review - a dip into Thursday
Running the gamut from Japanese hip-house to Welsh LGBT stadium pop
Album: Rico Nasty - LETHAL
From chaos to control, Rico Nasty trades bite for balance
Lucy Farrell, Catherine MacLellan, The Green Note review - sublime frequencies
Two singer songwriters in their prime deliver a double header showcase in Camden
Album: Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
East Midlands post-punker tries on some yacht rock
Album: MØ - Plæygirl
Scandinavian singer injects a dash of outsider melancholy into her fizzing electro-pop
PUP, SWG3, Glasgow review - controlled chaos from Canadian punks
A no-frills set demonstrated the Toronto quartet's skill with a chorus and a mosh pit
Music Reissues Weekly: Roots Rocking Zimbabwe
Exhaustive guide to how and why a music scene evolved
Supergrass, Barrowland, Glasgow review - nostalgia played with youthful energy
The Oxford group's revival of their debut album fizzed with excitement
Comments
...