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World, traditional, folk, jazz.

"Jouer stands as a powerful reminder of the beauty that can emerge when cultural barriers are dismantled and creativity is given the freedom to flourish. The collaboration of a Swedish flautist and a Malian griot harpist not only enriches the musical landscape but also invites listeners to reflect on the interconnectedness of our shared human experience. In a time when music can heal and unite, Jouer offers a fresh perspective, leaving us in awe of the remarkable artistry born from this unique partnership." THE SOUND CAFÈ

Annarella and Django: Jouer review – flute and west African lute shine in expressive new partnershipThis marriage of instruments is best when the full-band moments are stripped back to highlight the duo’s artistry

The plucked melodic twang of the ngoni, a west African lute, has long added an unexpected texture to fusion records. Jazz trumpeter Don Cherry featured the stringed instrument cutting through his full-throated blasts on albums throughout the 1970s and 80s, while producer Marc Minelli blended ngonis with synth melody on his 2001 Electro Bamako project and Malian singer Rokia Traoré used the instrument to bolster electric guitar on her rock-influenced 2013 record Beautiful Africa. Swedish flautist Annarella Sörlin is the latest artist to be inspired by the instrument, on her lyrical debut album with Malian ngoni master Django Diabaté.

Several of the record’s 11 tracks feature Diabaté playing alongside a full band accompaniment of flute, bass, drums and keys, to mixed effect. On the mid-tempo funk of Megaphone, Diabaté sits back in the mix, repeating a minimal lead line reminiscent of an electric guitar against the easy groove, while on Degrees of Freedom shimmering keys, clarinet and reverb-laden guitar subsume Diabaté in their desert blues atmospherics.

These are unobtrusive tracks allowing neither the flute nor ngoni to shine, particularly – but when Sörlin and Diabaté strip back the full-band accompaniment, their artistry comes to the fore. Reverberating hand claps and sparse bass drum provide a swaying foundation to Diabaté’s lightning-fast and deeply expressive runs on Hommage à Dallas Dialy Mory Diabaté, while Intro rings with bucolic beauty thanks to its finger-picked acoustic guitar and simple interchanging melodies between ngoni and flute. Closing track Pluie Melancholique is a highlight, featuring Sörlin soaring through keening lines as melodica provides echoes of Diabaté’s tender phrases.

When Sörlin and Diabaté are left exposed, their pairing of flute and ngoni produces a gentle yet pervasive chemistry. Veering from the percussive, whistled flute lines and muscular plucking patterns of Aduna Ak Asaman to the yearning, long phrases of No More, Jouer is an engaging first outing for a promising partnership.

Tracks:
01 - Intro
02 - Aduna Ak Asaman
03 - Dakar Örebro
04 - No More
05 - Sarajalela
06 - Kosmisk Horisont
07 - Degrees of Freedom
08 - Megaphone
09 - Hommage á Dallas Dialy Mory Diabate
10 - Tankefigur
11 - Pluie Melancholique

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho59L__t06s