Ancient yet modern: (l–r) Ballaké Sissoko and Toumani Diabaté
LUCY DURÁN
IN 1970, Sidiki Diabaté and Djelimady Sissoko recorded an album of instrumental kora duets called Cordes Anciennes (Ancient Strings). Although it was only released in France and Germany on a specialist ethno-musicological label, as western interest grew in ‘world music’ it came to be regarded as a landmark release –not least because it was the first ever recording devoted solely to the rippling, harp-like textures of the kora.
A quarter of a century later, Lucy Durán, professor of music at the London School of Oriental and African Studies, persuaded Joe Boyd to commission a belated sequel for release on his Hannibal label.