PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts presents a special duo collaboration between cellist Mike Block and master kora player Yacouba Sissoko on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at Next Stage.
Block is a Grammy-winning, multi-style cello player, composer, singer, and educator, with a passion for cross-cultural collaborations. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene” by Gramophone magazine, he was acclaimed by the New York Times for his “vital rich-hued solo playing,” and was called “a true artist…a sight to behold” by Salt Lake City Deseret News. In addition to his solo performances and touring bands, since 2005 Block has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, with which he has been featured as a cello and vocal soloist, contributed arrangements and compositions, and earned a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album.
Master kora player Sissoko devotes his musical gift to expanding the awareness of West African history and culture, spreading the word of peace, and empowering his listeners to take charge and realize their imagined futures. His performances have a magical effect on audiences as he skillfully transforms the traditional songs and stories of his forefathers into modern-day messages of peace, love, and harmony. Born to a well-known djeli family in Kita, Mali, Sissoko started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather at the age of 9. For centuries, djelis have been the musical storytellers, a position that is inherited through a family bloodline. Highly respected within their communities, they are the keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups, and families. The kora, a 21-stringed plucked instrument with a gourd resonator, is the traditional instrument accompanying their songs.
Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, Vt. For information, call 802-387-0102. Advance tickets are available at www.nextstagearts.org. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar.