Three virtuosos, three plucked instruments, three musical traditions, three countries starting with Ma… Driss El Maloumi from Morocco, Rajery from Madagascar and Ballaké Sissoko from Mali decided to embark on a musical adventure: they wanted to merge their playing on ud ( African lute), valiha (African zither) and kora (African harp) come to a unique fusion. In their own country, the three
… musicians are considered grand masters of their instrument. All three have mastered traditional music to perfection, but at the same time are open to new developments and new styles. Yet it was quite a challenge for these 'open minded' artists to let go of their own traditions and customs and to respond adequately to each other's improvisations. However, their efforts paid off: the result can be heard on the (predominantly) instrumental album 3 Ma. No competition but connection: as one organism, the trio's plucked instruments whisper, ripple and swing and convey an atmosphere of openness, optimism and joy. (SvdP)more
