Zal Sissokho

Kora Flamenca is a «carte blanche» given to the artist Zal Sissokho to create new works with musicians from different backgrounds. Alongside flamenco guitarist Caroline Planté, double bassist Jean Félix Mailloux and percussionist Miguel Medina, Zal presents an encounter between his native Mandinka culture and flamenco, thus redefining the boundaries of his traditional instrument, the kora.

About Zal Sissokho
Not every African musician is a griot. These bearers of oral tradition are members of the Kouyaté, Diabaté and Sissokho castes; the only families who diffuse the memory of the Mandinka people. Not only does Zal Idrissa Sissokho bear the name, but he also has the cultural background and incredible improvisation skills. Zal plays kora and sings melodies inspired by or borrowed from West African tradition in Malinke and Wolof. After moving to Montreal in 1999, Zal Idrissa Sissokho quickly established himself in the Montreal soundscape and received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts on several occasions since 2001. While being a solo performer, he also collaborates with numerous arstists and bands such as Les frères Diouf, Celso Machado, Constantinople, Fakhass Sico, Lilison di Kinara, Richard Séguin, Takadja, and Muna Mingole. He contributed to the albums of Corneille, IKS, Hart Rouge, Monica Freire, Lousnak, Sara Rénélik, Les frères Diouf, and Musa Dieng Kala.