The meeting of Alieu and Randomized Coffee gives light to this new project, in which the Roman duo tackles a production that skillfully links Mediterranean influence to ancestral Africa in a patchwork woven of typical African ethnic elements to those of house and electronica in a “groovy” body that enhances the classical side of the African country in a modern musical mood and rhythm.
The story tells about the day before an arranged marriage ceremony.
Masanneh is a handsome and well-known man in his village of the Mandinka Tribe, born and raised in the village of Kudang, near the river that flows through the entire country; the Gambia. Many in the village believe him to be charismatic and generous, others
believe him to be a venal materialist devoted to money. Masanneh decides to consult Cherno Jallow, a wise Marabout, to figure out how to deal with his future. He therefore moves westward to the village of Bondali, in Foni, where before practicing his work as a skilled trader he talks to Landing Sawo, the district chief, from there he hears the sound of a Kora played by Jali, while across the road he sees a beautiful woman Mariama Gomez passing by.
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Kora Hero, born Alieu Saho, comes from The Gambia in West Africa and is part of a Mandinka tribe that has been playing the Kora for centuries.
The Kora originated in The Gambia 750 years ago, and Alieu is a direct descendant of the first Kora player, Korea’s Musa Susso, when the instrument affectionately known as the African harp had 7 strings, but today in its evolutionary stages is a 22-string instrument.
Alieu began playing at the age of 6 since then he has travelled the world, and with his music as well as his performance with African harp he brings to life in a contemporary way the musical tradition from which he comes, sparking an intriguing interest in Mandinka history.
