Dawda Jobarteh hails from Gambia but now lives in Denmark and only took up playing the kora when he moved there in his early 20s, having formerly studied percussion. Not studying kora as a child was, he believes, a reason why for a while he lost touch with his musical roots. His new album, on which he plays traditional and electric kora, and sings, also features four other musicians: Norwegian trumpeter Gunnar Halle, Gambian percussionist Sal Dibba, Danish drummer Stefan Pasborg and Malian bass player Elisée Sangare.

Flekkerøy is the name of an island off the south of Norway, a place of beauty favored by Jobarteh for contemplation and reflection and this title track, which opens the album, sets the mood for what is to follow. This is music with the feel of jazz, played, unsurprisingly, with a Scandinavian slant: laid back and with plenty of space allowed between the sounds being produced. Two of the tunes are indeed compositions by major jazz figures, Don Cherry and Thelonius Monk, but it it is Dawda Jobarteh's kora which makes this a particularly distinctive recording, not hidebound by adherence to any particular genre. His playing, his improvisation, whilst always at one with the other musicians continues to draw from his own west African traditions.

Apart from the aforementioned two tracks all the compositions come from Jobarteh and what the other players bring to them is imaginative and entirely fitting. The pairing of kora and trumpet, played with a breathy tone which Halle shares with fellow countryman Arve Henriksen, is a joy. On "New Planet" we hear just the two of them playing together.

Teasingly, the only track not to have any trumpet is the composition from American trumpeter Don Cherry. Dawda introduces "Togo" on electric kora with acoustic kora underpinning it, supported by percussionist Sal Dibba, who also plays a short balafon solo.

Do you know a place called Flekkerøy was apparently recorded in Dawda Jobarteh's kitchen and these familiar surroundings may have made a positive contribution to the recording. The production has a freshness to it which, despite some overdubbing here and there, captures the spirit of people playing live together, sometimes in unison, sometimes improvising, creating music in the moment.

Nio by Momi Maiga shares, in some respects, a similar sound world as the Dawda Jobarteh album. Both are very much ensemble recordings and while there is some very fine kora playing in both cases, that does not always take central stage, a good balance being maintained with the other instruments. There is also a calm intimacy which pervades both recordings, chilled out but never dull. Initially however, coming to Nio immediately after hearing Flekkerøy, I missed the openness and group improvisation of the latter and things felt just a bit too well manicured. On further listening I found myself warming to the album's lightness of touch, to its gentle charm. Yes, there is a feeling of it being planned to the last detail but there is still a warmth of humanity that shines through, with some fine singing and musicianship.

Momi Maiga, like Dawda Jobarteh, was born in Gambia but lived in Casamance in the south of Senegal from the age of four before moving to Europe, where he now lives in Spain. At the age of twenty-five this is his first solo album and, as with Jobarteh, the move to a new musical environment has opened his playing to new influences, while maintaining ties to the family musical tradition he grew up with (he was taught to play kora by his uncle, Solo Cissokho.) Mansani shows its indebtedness to flamenco not only in its composition but in the guest appearance of Spanish guitarist Paul Figueres and in the inclusion of handclapping.

Most of the tracks on Nio have a wide, spacious sound with an effective use of bowed strings (violin, baritone violin and cello), providing sustained harmonies behind the kora. The percussion plays a key but discreet role, generally keeping things at a moderate place. On "Casamance," however, the tempo is raised, a joyous number featuring the vocals of Maiga's cousin Seckou Keita as well as backing vocals with the brisk rhythm being driven by the skipping brushwork of Aleix Tobias. Nio is a fine debut album showing great promise of what might follow.

Find the artists online:
Dawda Jobarteh
Momi Maiga

Further reading:
Dawda Jobarteh - Transitional Times
AKA Trio - JOY Sona Jobarteh Band in concert