Africa to Appalachia
Artist: Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko
Label:  Indie 
Time: 13 Tracks / 63 mins
 
It took a while and some persistence to source this one, but it was well worth the effort. This is music of discovery, friendship and celebration; as fresh, spacious, organic and colourful as its album cover. Jayme Stone puts it well in the liner notes when he describes the collection as “traditional music re-imagined ... music rooted in, and yet free from, tradition.”
 
After banjo player Stone discovered that his instrument comes originally from Africa, he began searching out as much African music – particularly from Senegal and Mali – as he could. Then he met Mansa Sissoko, whom he describes as, “a walking encyclopaedia of Malian music and story, a guide for life cycle events, a powerful singer and a unique voice on the 21-string kora”. While Canadian Stone went to Mali for research and recording, Sissoko moved his family to Quebec. This circuitous move helps to explain how beautifully the two cultures are intertwined on this disc, although it has sent a lot more Africa than Appalachia through my speakers.
 
On opener “Bibi” – about an eagle – Sissoko sets up rhythms on his kora, while Stone plucks over the top and Sissoko replies in return. Although this is a studio track, it feels part-improvised, with each looking the other in the eye and jamming.
 
“Ninka Nanka” (great title!) is a mythical dragon-like snake, and as a slow fiddle threads snakily through the picked strings of this instrumental, picking up on the kora’s tinkling runs, you can picture it. The pace changes halfway through, and some of the western influence swings in as the fiddle takes on more of a rock solo style.
 
The tone is light and airy throughout, leaving plenty of space for other feature instruments to come in and work. “Djula” introduces a livelier jazzier feel, with producer David Travers-Smith offering occasional trumpet. 
 
The traditional Griot song “Tunya” (“the truth”) includes words that, translated, read, “Love is an illness that medicine cannot cure / Only your lover can / Love exists now and will continue forever.” Again taking a jazz-bluegrass style over shuffling African backing, it is a fine backdrop for Sissoko’s singing. You can hear the French lingual influence in his Malian accent.
 
In the middle of the disc, we have a cultural change, with Senegal’s flamenco-like influence leading “Dakar,” but again a jazz vibe taking shape, especially thanks to Grant Gordy’s acoustic guitar work, often hidden among the other strings, but making a great contribution. Then Stone arranges the traditional “June Apple” for a far-too-short bluegrass jig.
 
The rest of the disc re-arranges the same features, with “Yelemane” displaying the band’s more tender side; some mood-changing fiddle work (“Bamaneyake); and special guests: the BBC3 award-winning Bassekou Kouyate plays the lute-like ngoni. 
 
“Tene” is a song recorded on the same day that Stone first heard the melody, so it is less developed than most pieces; and “Kaira Ba” feels similarly improvised. Both tracks are pleasant enough on their own, even though they don’t reach their potential. That leaves eleven tracks – nearly an hour’s worth! – of deliciously intertwining strings, strong musical motifs, vibrant mood and absolutely no filler.
 
Just as Ireland gives Europe some of its best music, Mali seems to be the epicentre of mesmerising African musical brilliance. This beautiful and addictive disc doesn’t quite have the gravitas of Ali Farke Touré’s collaboration with Ry Cooder, but I enjoyed it just as much; and will probably play it more than Tinariwen’s immense Aman Iman. This is up there with the best. If anyone wants to investigate the wonder of music from other continents, this is a very enjoyable and accessible place to start.
 
Derek Walker