Zal Sissokho

An ancestor of the first kora player in history and his brother Younoussa became, in the 1980s, the first griots to settle in Québec. In Senegal, the Sissokho family was among the most important representatives of the griots, who have transmitted the history of the Mandinka people orally for many centuries. In short, Juno nominated artist Zal Sissokho was predestined to sing and to play the kora. Born in Senegal, he has performed since age 11. At an early age, he also began singing and composing songs in Mandinka and in Wolof inspired by the West African repertoire. He perfected his kora playing under the stern guidance of a master of the instrument, Toumani Kouyaté. In 2004, he founded his own group, Buntalo, surrounding himself with Montréal musicians from West Africa.

The idea for a kora-flamenco musical project was born during a trip Sissokho made to Seville, when he first became interested in the sounds of flamenco. He was fascinated by the playing techniques of the musicians he met in Andalusia, and became set on creating music that would combine flamenco with the Mandinka culture of his native West Africa. When Sissokho was offered an artistic residency by the Centre des musiciens du monde in 2018, he approached Caroline Planté, a musician with more than 25 years experience — and one of the few women around who plays the flamenco guitar professionally.