The Blind Boys of Alabama to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Americana Music Association
The cermony takes place on 18 September at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.
Wed, 03 July 24
Private: Kayhan Kalhor and Toumani Diabaté
Released 05 May 2023
Liner notes
Kayhan Kalhor and Toumani Diabaté are both well-known soloists in their own right, but this duo recording is something special taking us on an improvisational musical journey into new landscapes. “It’s like this music was already there waiting for us,” says Toumani. “And it’s like the two of us knew each other before – in another life.”
Kayhan Kalhor, from Iran, is the leading player of the kamancheh, the Persian spike fiddle. Played kneeling down, Kayhan says it’s “like riding a wild horse”. It has four strings played with a short bow. He’s collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Kronos Quartet, Shujaat Khan, Erdal Erzincan, the Rembrandt Trio and many others. Toumani Diabaté, from Mali, is likewise the leading player of the West African kora, a 21-string harp-lute and a sublime creation of gourd, cow skin and fishing line. He’s won three Grammys and recorded with Ballaké Sissoko, Taj Mahal, Ali Farka Touré, Björk and the London Symphony Orchestra. This is Kayhan’s first collaboration with an African musician. “The qualities of minimalism and trance that I like in Persian music are also there in Toumani’s,” says Kayhan. “That’s how I like to think and tell a story. That quality in African music has always attracted me and I think Toumani does that really well.”
The idea for the duo came from Michael Dreyer, director of the Morgenland Festival in Osnabrück, Germany where Kayhan had frequently played in several other collaborations. The preparation was minimal, not even a discussion about scales or structure, but just a sound check in which they “checked certain things” and then simply played about 90 minutes of music.
That performance was in September 2016 and they followed it with a short European tour to a few other venues, although Kayhan says the shape of the piece didn’t really change. They recorded it in Paris after the final concert in Brussels.
Credits
Performed by Kayhan Kalhor on kamancheh (spiked fiddle) and Toumani Diabaté on kora (harp/flute)
Improvisation by Kayhan Kalhor and Toumani Diabaté, based on traditional themes
Sound Engineer Noël Yann
Recorded at Midilive Studios in Villetaneuse, France
Mixed by Ramin Zamani and Kayhan Kalhor, Sonic Design Studio, Los Angeles, CA
Mastering by Ramin Zamani and Kayhan Kalhor, Sonic Design Studio, Los Angeles, CA
Project Director Isabel Soffer
Published by Soroud Music (Kalhor) / BMG (Diabaté)
Special thanks to Saul Presa
@Kayhankalhor @toumaniDiabatémusic
www.kayhankalhor.net
A Real World Design by Marc Bessant
Cover photograph by Elia Clerici www.ielix.it
Artist photography by Andy Spyra
Further Listening
Released 17 September 2010
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett
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