Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal: globalFEST 2011

This was one show everyone wanted to catch. Magic happens when Ballak? Sissoko and Vincent Segal perform. This night at globalFEST was no exception. When the kora and a cello sit side by side, there's a clear cultural juxtaposition of African and European musical tradition. But despite the striking contrast, when the Malian kora player Sissoko and French cellist Segal sit down together, nothing sounds more natural. Sissoko plucks sweet harp-like sounds from the 21-stringed kora, while Segal draws unexpected sounds from his cello, sometimes evoking woodwinds. The acoustic pairing and cultural combination has become an exciting new sound in chamber music.