In partnership with the BBC Concert orchestra

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Nottingham based Senegalese composer and kora player Seckou Keita is proud to present African Rhapsodies: an epic project created in collaboration with Italian composer and musician Davide Mantovani, due to be released via Swiss label Claves Records in May.  African Rhapsodies is an enchanting, kora-led work, enhanced by the power of The BBC Concert Orchestra. In this inspiring blend of African music with orchestral arrangements, the traditional West African 22 stringed harp takes pride of place perfectly where the violin, piano or flute may have been. This rare blend of traditions and the synergy that it achieves makes one wonder if Bach, Beethoven or even Stéphane Grappelli might have composed for kora had they travelled to Africa in their lifetime.

On African Rhapsodies, Seckou Keita is joined by South African star cellist and vocalist Abel Selaocoe, outstanding double bass player Davide Mantovani and up and coming Gambian percussionist / kora player Suntou Susso.  These brilliant, international, special guest soloists are the perfect protagonists to harness the excellence of the BBC Concert Orchestra and generate a new sound that only they personally (alongside Seckou) could create.

A beautiful and engaging narrative is woven throughout the work. Each piece in African Rhapsodies charts its own individual story, cultivating a range of atmospheres and cinematic journeys. With titles as delightfully intriguing as Tamala’s Caravan Trail; Bamba, The Light of Touba; The Shadow Left by the Invisible Man and L’Épopée Mande Arab, African Rhapsodies references some wonderfully diverse tales that add an extra level of enjoyment to the music itself. [..]

African Rhapsodies has been made possible thanks to a partnership with the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Radio 3, Orchestre National de Bretagne, Lakeside Arts Centre, The University of Nottingham and PRS Foundation’s Composers’ Fund.

Read more in the booklet

Seckou Keita (Kora & Voice)

Since arriving in the UK in 1999, Seckou has been on an epic creative journey that has seen him broaden the idiomatic scope of his instrument as well as spread his wings, literally and figuratively.

Nicknamed ”Hendrix of the Kora”,  Seckou has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as “one of the finest exponents of the kora”. 

Born in 1978 in Ziguinchor, the main town in Senegal’s southern region of Casamance, Seckou’s father was descended from the great founder of the Malian Empire, Sunjiata Keita, but was not involved in his upbringing. Instead the family was presided over by his maternal grandfather, Jali Kemo Cissokho, a revered griot and kora master. “My earliest memories are of music,” Seckou says.  He started his music apprenticeship with drumming, picking up the kora along the way. “Listening, observing and then playing” as is the long traditional process of learning. 

In his teens he travelled to Dakar to play concerts with his uncle Jali Solo Cissokho, another of his key mentors, and at 14 he was given his own kora, a symbolic moment marking the end of his apprenticeship. That same year he accompanied another uncle, Sadio Cissokho, to Norway to take part in a collaborative project with Cuban and Indian musicians. It was the start of a passion for cross-cultural collaboration and the beginning of a mission to globalise the kora and take its sound far beyond the confines of its West African context. 

To this day he regards himself as both a drummer and a kora player. “Drumming for me is about the heartbeat, about connecting with the earth, with joy, with dance. Whereas the kora can make you cry – for all the right reasons,”  Seckou notes.

Performing all over the globe as a solo artist and with his ground-breaking quintet, he has captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more places.

Acclaimed collaborations with numerous jazz, pop, latin, folk and classical artists, notably include Damon Albarn, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, AKA trio with Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione and Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale, Paul Weller and the Folk Collective The Lost Words, Spell Songs  joined by the words of Robert McFarlane and artwork of Jackie Morris. Since 2007, he has had several opportunities to perform with classical ensembles including. Orchestre National de Bretagne, which has spurred him towards his dream of leading an orchestral work specifically for the kora.

Overall, Seckou has released12 albums as a leader and co-leader. Through this work, he has earned numerous accolades including three Songlines Music Awards, and several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including 2019 Musician of the Year. 

More information www.seckoukeita.com

About the kora and the griot tradition

The kora is a sophisticated instrument from West Africa made from gourd, leather, wood, metal and fishing lines. Folklore tells us that it was given to Jali Mady Wuleng centuries ago. At that time it had 22 strings, but a string was taken away when he died. Most koras have had 21 strings since then. In Southern Senegal and northern Guinea, this 22nd string still remains, giving the instrument greater versatility. In the griot tradition music is passed through the generations. Griots are the preservers of stories and history as well as mediators and diplomats. Seckou inherited the griot tradition from his mother’s side of the family. His father is a descendant of Sunjiata Keita, founder of the Malian Empire. This makes Seckou half griot and half Keita, both eulogiser and eulogised.

Davide Mantovani (Double bass)

Davide Mantovani is an Italian bass player and composer whose work spans across jazz, world and classical musical genres. He is one of those rare composers who has a flawless understanding and feel for South American, Caribbean, Eastern European and African music which can be heard in his album Choices released in 2012. He has performed all over the world with Lisa Stansfield, Monica Vasconcelos, Ingrid Laubrock, Carol Grimes, Roberto Pla, Seckou Keita and Natacha Atlas amongst others.

BBC Concert Orchestra

BBC Concert Orchestra is one of Britain's most versatile ensembles with a mission to bring inspiring musical experiences to everyone, everywhere, with the ensemble’s versatility as the key.

The orchestra can be heard on BBC Radio 2’s Sunday Night Is Music Night and for BBC Radio 3 it explores a wide selection of music, ranging from classical to contemporary. Along with its regular engagements throughout the UK, the orchestra tours internationally.

www.bbc.co.uk/concertorchestra

Artists

BBC Concert Orchestra, Mark Heron
Seckou Keita: kora/voice

Guest soloists
Abel Selaocoe: cello/voice
Davide Mantovani: double-bass
Suntou Susso: percussion

Production
Produced by / Produit par Seckou Keita & Chélima
Recorded at Watford Colosseum, UK
Recording producer for BBC CO: Neil Varley 
Recording engineers: Rob Winter, Chris Rouse, Martin Appleby, Duncan Rhodes
Music editor & pcore/Parts preparation by Jean Hasse
Recording engineers for extra vocals: Tom Colvin
Edited by  Robert Winter & Tom Colvin
Mixed by Tom Colvin
Mastering by Klaus Scheuermann 

More information www.seckoukeita.com

Singles

   

REVIEWS

BBC Music Magazine

“[..] It’s hard to guess how much of this album’s brilliance is down to double-bass player Davide Mantovani’s arrangements, which include such inspired touches as the inclusion of softly funking kit drummer/percussionist Suntou Susso. African Rhapsodies could be as big a hit as Clychau Dibon, Keita’s breathtakingly elegant debut with classically trained Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, which they revisit with all the poetry of one dancer drawing grace from another’s moves on ‘Bamba, the Light of Touba’. [..]” - Jon Lusk, August 2023

Gramophone Magazine

“[..] The orchestration, made with composer Davide Mantovani, is gorgeous and full. Seckou's positivity is still palpable in the songs, even as they gain more heft with the orchestra. 'Simply Beautiful Miro' is comforting and warm, supported by the unmistakable voice and cello of Abel Selaocoe. [..]” - Alexandra Petropoulos, July 2023

KulturTipp

« [..] Das Album «African Rhapsodies» schafft den musikalischen Brückenschlag zwischen Kulturen und Kontinenten, verschlauft orchestrale Flächen mit treibenden Beats und die Hymnik des Afropop mit der Bildhaftigkeit der klassischen Rhapsodie.» - Frank von Niederhäusern, November 2023

Le Courrier

« African Rhapsodies propose un luxuriant voyage sonore sous forme d’allers-retours de Seckou Keita vers le Sénégal et dans le reste du monde. » - Gianluigi Bocelli, Juillet 2023

Le Temps

« [..] L’écoute de ces rhapsodies confirme la pertinence de cette assertion. Bois, cuivres et cordes posent l’atmosphère, initient le mouvement et la kora attaque la mélodie avec une aisance qu’on croirait tirée d’une longue expérience de premier violon solo! Pour affiner cette vision et cette session inédite, Seckou Keita s’est entouré du percussionniste et joueur de kora Suntou Susso et du violoncelliste Abel Selaocoe, un musicien classique d’Afrique du Sud, parfaitement capable de comprendre et de construire cette passerelle musicale. [..] » - Elisabeth Stoudmann, juin 2023

Music in Africa

« Surnommé « le Hendrix de la kora », Seckou Kieta est arrivé au Royaume-Uni en 1999; il est connu pour ses accords et sa virtuosité. C'est certainement l'un des meilleurs joueurs de la kora au monde. [..] African Rhapsodies est une œuvre enchanteresse qui célèbre la harpe magique à 22 cordes d'Afrique et lui donne la place prépondérante accordée depuis des siècles au violon, au piano et à la flûte. » - Lamine BA, janvier 2023

RadioFrance

« Avec l'album African Rhapsodies, le musicien sénégalais nous fait entendre dix titres symphoniques, comme autant de mouvements d'un concerto pour kora et orchestre. [..] » - MAXXI Classique, mai 2023

RFI

« Seckou Keita, infatigable défenseur de la kora avec 80 concerts par an à travers le monde et des millions de streams, sort un 13e album hors du commun. Dans African Rhapsodies, le Sénégalais marie les 22 cordes de sa harpe-luth mandingue à un orchestre symphonique européen. En compagnie du BBC Concert Orchestra, l’un des plus versatiles du Royaume-Uni, il fusionne musique africaine et occidentale en dix titres rayonnants. » - Carmen Lunsmann, juin 2023

Rock'N'Reel

“African Rhapsodies exudes joy akin to birdsong heralding the arrival of spring. Ten cinematic compositions bring rich and dramatic imagery. Whilst the kora is discernibly unique, it meets western orchestral traditions harmoniously” - Bryony Hegarty, may 2023

Roots World

“[..] Keita and Mantovani, and the orchestra conducted by Mark Heron, deserve high praise for this glorious, gorgeous work. It’s released on a classical label, and merits the cross-over success of, say, Jonathan Elias’s 1999 “The Prayer Cycle.” - Andrew Cronshaw, June 2023

COOP Magazine

« On le surnomme «le Hendrix de la kora». Seckou Keita est un virtuose de cette harpe traditionnelle ouest-africaine. Le griot sénégalais de 45 ans, installé depuis une vingtaine d’années à Nottingham (Angleterre), a collaboré avec des musiciens aussi divers que Damon Albarn, le pianiste cubain Omar Sosa ou la harpiste galloise Catrin Finch. Il vient de sortir «African Rhapsodies», un disque enchanteur où ses compositions solaires se parent des somptueux arrangements orchestraux du BBC Concert Orchestra. » - Miguel Cid, juin 2023

Song Lines

“[..] Across the ten tracks on African Rhapsodies, we are treated to some familiar tunes. ‘Future Strings’ is a personal favourite from his back catalogue, originally released with Catrin Finch on Clychau Dibon and again as a solo piece on 22 Strings. Here it opens the album with a cinematic sweep, the kora doesn't even appear until over a minute and a half in. The orchestration, made with composer Davide Mantovani, is gorgeous and full. The different timbres weave in and out, each picking up a part of the whole. As lovely and interesting as it is, I still prefer the original whose beauty was in its delicateness. Seckou's positivity – any who have seen him live will recognise that joyful, wide smile anywhere – is still palpable in the songs, even as they gain more heft with the orchestra. [..]” - Alexandra Petropoulos, July 2023

The Guardian

“Kora virtuoso Seckou Keita releases an ambitious orchestral suite with the BBC Concert Orchestra, African Rhapsodies (Claves Records). The west African harp merges seamlessly with the orchestra’s sweeping strings, a highlight being Simply Beautiful Miro, featuring the dramatic melodies of cellist Abel Selaocoe.” - Tim Dowling, May 2023

WDR3

"Seckou Keita ist professioneller Kora-Spieler. Das afrikanische Saiteninstrument hat er schon als Kind erlernt. Nun hat er ein Album gemeinsam mit dem BBC Concert Orchester aufgenommen. Carlotta Rölleke stellt den Musiker vor." - Mai 2023