Zal Idrissa Sissokho

* Programme subject to change

Three musicians from Senegal, Spain and Mexico join forces in this musical project, which brings together the Mandinka kora of Zal Sissokho, the flamenco guitar of Caroline Planté, and the percussion of Miguel Medina. For this performance, they seek to create a sonic journey that conveys, in the words of the artists themselves, the feeling of “coming home.” Their unique fusion of traditional West African rhythms and contemporary flamenco invites the audience to recognise themselves in a musical landscape filled with emotion and memory.

Following the success of their first album La Source, the trio explores new soundscapes with Kora Flamenca, an immersive experience that celebrates diversity and cultural unity. Each performance is a musical narrative where tradition, innovation and a profound sense of belonging come together, and this will be no exception. Through this artistic collaboration, the musicians weave together stories, roots and emotions, forging ties between cultures and connecting audiences in Latin America and North America with an experience that is both authentic and universal.

 

Artists

Press quotes

“And it’s true that, although the breathing of the two musical traditions is different, the exchange flows naturally. The kora never chases after the syncopated, at times frenetic, rhythms of flamenco, and Zal Sissokho’s voice remains as cool and wavering as if he were singing Mandinka blues. Caroline Planté, on the other hand, doesn’t need to hold back in order to adapt to a musical universe that is at times more languid than her own.”

Alexandre Vigneault. La Presse

“Zal Idrissa Sissokho likes to combine his reality with the cultural heritage of the kora. The artist explains that, while this instrument was played for important events or royalty centuries ago, today he enjoys incorporating his surroundings and encounters. This is how Kora Flamenca was born a few years ago. During a trip to Spain, Zal Idrissa Sissokho was inspired by flamenco. He wanted to challenge his own instrument to find out if his kora could play the flamenco tones that don’t come naturally to it.”

Joëlle Bouchard. Désautels le matin- Radio-Canada

“Zal Sissokho plays the kora and sings. He is a griot, meaning he is a bearer of oral traditions belonging to the Kouyaté, Diabaté or Sissokho castes, the only three main families who carry the memory of the Mandinka people.”

Zal Sissokho

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