Gently does it. What’s the rush? Come on, treat yourself to the grand-master of the serene and his son in this sensational duet. The double-kora combines like a pair of butterflies dancing in the breeze, the feather-like strums light enough to float on air. The song blooms and busies itself with the intricate, cascading melodies the kora – especially when under the thumbs of a Diabaté – are known for. But all the while, the song remains sturdy. It eases up periodically, flowing into a chorus of sorts. Achingly so. Where the silences between the notes create the effect. In fact it is these sudden, tiny, absences, the cold gaps in the sunlight, that define the song. You urge it on; hoping to return to the pleasant melodies.
Instead it peters out, returning home. To nothing.
Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté – Lampedusa
Sam Garbett is Public Affairs Coordinator for the Mali Development Group – www.malidg.org.uk.
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