Music

Celebrated Malian kora player, Ballaké Sissoko was born into a musical family. His father Djelimady Sissoko was a well-known griot – a West African storyteller, singer, poet and musician.

His acclaimed 2009 album Chamber Music with classical cellist Vincent Segal won France’s prestigious Victoire de la Musique award and featured on “best of” lists in both Europe and America.

Kora is a 21 string long-bridged lute, made from a hollowed-out calabash gourd covered in cow skin. Its unique sound is somewhere between the harp and delta blues guitar. Sissoko’s Hong Kong debut concert mostly features tunes from his 2013 recording, At Peace; his soothing music is a celebration of the peaceful spirit of Mali, in contrast to the reality of its present turmoil.