Biography

“PART TWO”

When Kora Jazz Trio’s first album was released, critics praised it as « a delightful alchemy », « world jazz » or « a refreshing miracle ». This unheard of musical fusion, which nonetheless sounded so natural, was warmly embraced. A connection between Mandingo musical tradition and the freedom of jazz. Kora interacting with West African percussions and Afro-American swing. The griot and the blue note’s palaver.

Kora Jazz Trio ‘s second effort should probably muster a new salvo of enthusiastic adjectives from the world music aficionados. As a matter of fact, after many tours and concerts, Djeli Moussa Diawara, Abdoulaye Diabaté et Moussa Cissoko carry on with their wayfaring venture in the same sagacious way.
Just like for their initial recorded performance, « Part Two » was recorded in a few days in Paris with the same determination to save the spontaneity of their musical language and protect the quality of their personality.

Their respective individualities shine through the whole project.
Abdoulaye Diabatéis a qualified Senegalese pianist, an aesthete who plays his instrument regardless of borders. This jazz lover is addicted to fine melodies.
Djeli Moussa Diawara, Guinean by birth, is none other than Mory Kanté’s brother. He is a prodigious 32-stringed kora player whose singing skills are as remarkable.
Moussa Cissokois another citizen from Senegal. He is a master of griot percussions whose skills have already been heard on a versatile array of recordings for artists such as Peter Gabriel, Jacques Higelin or Manu Dibango.

This musical union was instigated a few years ago by producer Gilbert Castro who, after having produced several of Diawara’s albums, imagined the judicious alliance of the kora player’s amazing libertarian swing and the delicacy of Diabaté’s touch on the ivory keys.

As a unit, they bring us ten originals (and two covers) written during tours, following the wind along alternative side roads.
Ripe with teeming ideas, the goal behind this record is to sound as intense on a ghetto blaster in some African suburb as on a hifi in a western metropolis.
For, after they won over jazz and World music buffs through the western world and though enjoyment is Kora Jazz Trio’s key word, the three musicians make no secret of their desire to introduce jazz to African countries.
After covering Charlie Parker’s « Now Is the Time » on "Part One", they chose to redefine Thelonious Monk 's “Rythm’ning”. This cover synthesizes the trio’s aspirations and the relevance of this African jazz. Settling for Monk, a pianist so deeply influenced by his African heritage, seems like a crystal-clear evident choice. This rereading will be remembered.

As the second tribute on this record, Charles Trenet’s « La Mer » will catch the defenders of orthodoxy offguard. Abdoulaye Diabaté’s choice originated in his long nights in the piano bars of many a capital.

And yet, Kora Jazz Trio don’t want to make their music pass for missionary ambitions, nor create a musical revolution. It simply conveys the joys of playing, freedom, sharing and cultural exchanges.
This new opus does not really have a title, it is simply called Part Two, as a second chapter of the same story, an history which builds an imaginary musical bridge over the Atlantic Ocean, between two continents sharing common melodic and rhythmic roots.


Djeli Moussa Diawara was born to a family of griots in Kankan (Guinea) in 1961. His father is a balafon player, his mother is a backing singer while his half-brother is Mory Kanté. As a singer and a musician, Djeli Moussa has developed a very intimate bond with his 32-stringed kora. He has not wandered too far from tradional rhythms, which never prevented him from using his mandingo instrument for unexpected styles : salsa, flamenco and jazz.

Born to a family of professional musicians, Abdoulaye Diabaté was rocked by the sounds of his country – Senegal - from an early age. After studying for ten years in the National Academy of Music and winning several top awards (musical theory, piano...), he fell in love with jazz and became the National Orchestra of Senegal bandleader. He has known many a musical experience (Manu Dibango, Mory Kanté, Papa Wemba, Salif Keita, Sekouba Bambino...). Abdoulaye Diabaté certainly is the most coveted composer-arranger of his generation among his African peers.

Born to a family of Senegalese griots, Moussa Cissoko is one of the great West African master percussionists. Since the early 80’s, his skillful heartfelt playing which blends various rhythms has been complementing the music of several major artists of the African and French scenes (Manu Dibango, Ray Lema, Jacques Higelin, Bernard Lavilliers, Claude Nougaro and Afrocelt Sound System), not to forget world-renowned stars such as Peter Gabriel.