“Mande Kulu“, “The Mandé Mountain” is the title of the Kala Jula’s upcoming CD to be released March 29 on Buda Musique (Paris). In this latest chapter of their musical ventures, Samba Diabaté and Vincent Zanetti are accompanied by two French musicians, major figures in European jazz and world music, the violinist Jacky Molard and bassist Hélène Labarrière.
Made in early September 2016 at the Grande Boutique in Langonnet (a center for world music production in Brittany), the recording was mixed by Jacky Molard. As was the case on the two previous Kala Jula albums, all the songs are original compositions by Vincent Zanetti and Samba Diabate, with the exception of, “Bamanan Deli” a version of a song composed by Vincent Zanetti and the late Soungalo Coulibaly, the djembe drum genius who left us too soon in 2004.
A brilliant ambassador of the griot musical tradition of Mali, Samba Diabate is one of Bamako‘s most highly-esteemed guitarists. His playing stands apart as much for its rhythmic richness as it does for its luminous sense of melody. From Toumani Diabaté to Cheick Ti- diane Seck, the most prestigious contemporary ambassadors of Mandinka music call on him.
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, journalist and ethnomusicologist, specialist in West African musical traditions and dance accompaniment, Vincent Zanetti is one of the few white masters of the djembe drum and Mandinka rhythms. A major figure in the world music scene in Switzerland, he is also a donso, a member of the venerable and ancient initiatory brotherhood of hunters from the Mandé in Mali. In Kala Jula, he is the voice carrier, storyteller or griot depending on the different contexts.
Constantly moving between West Africa and Europe, the two artists created Kala Jula in 2011. Essentially instrumental and acoustic, their music is deeply rooted in both the Mandinka tradition, blues and jazz. Entirely original compositions, their repertoire has already been captured on three CDs, all released by the Parisian label Buda Musique, and at several concert series in Switzerland, Mali, France, Belgium, UK and Israel.
While the pair holds its preferred place for composition in Kala Jula, it simultaneously forms the nucleus of several larger formations that vary in location each time it is redesigned, depending on the different projects. In this way, they have collaborated on different creations: Sidikiba Coulibaly(Mali), fabulous donsow singer from the Mandé; Léonard Eto (Japan), master in the art of daïko drumming, a former member and artistic director of the famous troupe Kodo; trumpet player Yannick Barman, guitarist Jean-Philippe Zwahlen, drummer Cyril Regamey and accordionist Stéphane Chapuis (Switzerland), the brilliant ambassadors of Swiss jazz on international stages. Featuring a collaboration with Hélène Labarrière and Jacky Molard, “Mande Kulu” opens up a new chapter in Kala Jula‘s musical development.
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INFORMATION
Website: www.kalajula.ch
Souncloud: soundcloud.com/label-buda-musique
Facebook: Kala-Jula
Live video: Les bouffons / Mande Kulu
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TOUR
Via Vox – Thomas BARRÉ
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 33 46 65 / 06 75 31 27 03
