About 15 years ago, Cherif Soumano (kora) and Sébastien Giniaux (guitars, cello) met in Bamako. Since then, their career path has often crossed and their friendship has grown around a dialogue between two cultures, two continents.

With African Variations, a project initiated in 2016, Sébastien and Chérif are travelling from Paris jazz to african desert blues, from kora arabesques to virtuoso cellos, from the great flute of Naïssam Jalal on the preceding album to Paloma Pradal's flamboyant flamenco vocals on this new record.

A meeting point between different musical cultures, but not only ...

First, because Cherif and Sébastien have musical universes and influences that go far beyond their original culture.

Cherif Soumano, master of Kora and Malian music, mastered to perfection his atypical instrument, made of strings, skin, wood and calabash. On stage or in the studio he has widened his musical sensitivities with Marcus Miller, Roberto Fonseca, Archie Chepp or Mathieu Chedid ...

Sébastien Giniaux, virtuoso guitarist and great cellist, after being well in the forefront of gypsy jazz, followed varied routes alongside the greatest (Bireli Lagrene, Didier Lockwood, Taraf de Haidouk, Tony Gatlif ...) in contemporary jazz and world music.

Beyond the friendship, their musical complicity and their pleasure to play together is just stunning.

African Variations came out of these contrasts and continues today with a wonderful second album, recorded last summer.

If the previous disc featured a majority of Cherif Soumano tunes and african tradionnals, Sébastien Giniaux is at the maneuver here with 7 original compositions and musical direction. Embracing the modern studio techniques, the disc goes beyond the duet by proposing daring arrangements mixing kora, cello, acoustic and electric guitars.

The flamenco singer Paloma Pradal joins them on two pieces: "Devant toi" and "La Ronde des Oiseaux"; evocative texts, powerful vocals, palmas, hard not to shiver listening to the french spanish singer.

Finally, a beautiful and unexpected cover of "Avec le temps" by Leo Ferré masterfully concludes this new album.

THE ALBUM

"La Ronde des Oiseaux" official release on January 17, 2020 (under the Christmas tree for crowdfunding contributors!)

01. Deux Voix Deux Mesures - 4'32
02. Terre et Mère - 3'41
03. Devant Toi (feat. Paloma Pradal) - 3'45
04. Toubaka - 5'41
05. Guitar only for Napoli - 2'02
06. Le Réveil - 3'45
07. Chanson Pour Maël - 3'43
08. La Ronde des Oiseaux (feat. Paloma Pradal) - 4'52
09. Kita - 3'00
10. Desert - 3'21
11. Avec le temps (Léo Ferré) - 3'37

Cherif Soumano - Kora
Sébastien Giniaux - guitars, cello

Paloma Pradal - Vocals, Palmas (tracks 3 & 8)

African Variations - Nouvel Album

The publications