I have recently formed a new duo with my good friend Ravi who plays the kora – West African harp.
We are sharing an on-going series of concerts and workshops, and are putting the finishing touches to our first album.
The kora is a complex, 21-stringed instrument with an ethereal, other-worldly sound, full of subtle overtones and polyrhythms, in many ways the perfect complement to the open, sustained tones of the shakuhachi.
The kora comes from West Africa and is made from a calabash gourd and cowskin with fishing line for strings. Traditionally it has been played by hereditary griot musicians.
Ravi has developed a unique style of playing the kora, and he was one of the first Western kora players to take this highly sophisticated instrument into new musical areas such as jazz and fusion.
He has released twenty of his own and collaborative recordings including work with Nigel Kennedy, Babba Maal, Dr John, John Lord, Ronu Majumdar, Deva Premal & Miten, Phil Manzanera and many leading traditional musicians. He has also created pioneering projects such as “Neuneneu” with Brazilian legend Marlui Miranda which brought Amazon Indians on a European tour.
Our Concerts
Ravi also plays the slide guitar and sufi flute, is an accomplished overtone singer and writes beautiful, prayerful songs.
In our concerts we combine the acoustic sounds of Africa and Japan with our own devotional songs, sharing instruments and songs in a meditative setting.
We often expand to a trio or quartet with other musicians such as tabla player Tom Simenauer, Melissa Holding who plays Japanese harp and accordion, and Asha McCarthy who plays Indian classical music on the cello.
Our workshops focus on group music-making within a meditative context. We provide participants with a unique, beautiful collection of musical instruments from around the world, and together we share a creative exploration of sound and rhythm.