I probably won’t be able to do him justice, but in plain terms, the Senegal-born Cissoko and his family are among the most prominent players of the Kora- a 22 string East African harp that has a tradition stretching back 700 years.
Cissoko is fairly prolific, releasing solo albums as well as with his wife Sosou.
It is a failing of Western mainstream culture that non-Rock music gets bundled into one category- whether it is Brazilian Tropocalia, Cameroonian funk or Indonesian pipe music. 30 years ago, it was called World Music, these days the broader “international” banner.
I admit I have “rock ears” so what draws me most to Cissoko is the guitar-like style of the Kora matched to his vocals and sense of melody (he’s not afraid to blend in reggae, rock and hip hop sensibilities either) which result in some of music's most plaintive moments; while others may like his work for its meditative properties.
Admittedly, in the current music environment, the latter may be the bigger commerical draw.
While Cissoko Heritage was probably more of the former, 2023s Kora World leans a bit heavier on the meditation.
Neither album would be a bad introduction to the music of Cissoko. Check them out
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