Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
2/26/2021 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba light up the NC Museum of Art with their kora powered music.
Living in Pittsboro, NC, Diali Cissokho takes the music and storytelling traditions from Senegal and blends them with the timbres of the American South to create a sound that is a bridge between both worlds, and brings everyone together to dance and flow with the music. Brought to you by the NC Museum of Art and NC Department of Cultural Resources.
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Music at the Museum is a local public television program presented by PBS NC
Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
2/26/2021 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Living in Pittsboro, NC, Diali Cissokho takes the music and storytelling traditions from Senegal and blends them with the timbres of the American South to create a sound that is a bridge between both worlds, and brings everyone together to dance and flow with the music. Brought to you by the NC Museum of Art and NC Department of Cultural Resources.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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It was very hard for me.
I don't know about for them, but for me it was very hard because we don't speak the same language.
And the type of music I need, they don't know that, so it was hard for me to communicate with them.
But like my parents used to say, especially my dad, he used to say, "“If your heart is communicating with the other musicians, you guys can hear together.
"” So, that is what I see.
That's helping me and helping them.
Our hearts were communicating, and the music was there.
- [Announcer] "Offstage Live" is a production of the North Carolina Museum of Art in partnership with PBS North Carolina.
It's made possible through the generous support of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
[kora playing] ♪ This song we're playing, we call it "“Alla L'a Ke"”.
It's like in school.
When you first go to school, the first letter you learn from school is "“A"”.
Kora like that.
That's the first song you learn about a kora when you first start to play kora.
We call that "“Alla L'a Ke.
"” I hope you guys enjoy it.
[medium tempo african folk style] ♪ ♪ Ayyy alla l'a ke God has done it.
♪ Ya mirio moma l'a ke Dear people, you haven't done it -- god has.
♪ ku be kara baile People can plan, ♪ alla la baro junto baila but god decides what happens.
♪ Ayyy alla l'a ke lele God has done it.
♪ Ya mirio moma l'a ke Dear people, you haven't done it -- god has.
♪ ku be kara baile People can plan, ♪ alla la baro junto baila but god decides what happens.
♪ ♪ Manso djum God.
♪ manso la baro junto baila bube Nobody can deny God's vision.
♪ Kalikili mamadu Prophet Mohamed, ♪ yarosulila mamadu bring together the leaders ♪ Seebol lule allah and ask God's forgiveness.
♪ Diali muno suso yo mal kiama My father has gone to paradise, please forgive him too.
♪ Malone Alla I cannot.
♪ Malone Alla I cannot.
♪ Malone Alla I cannot.
♪ Mansata lalo baro junto baila No one can deny God's vision.
Whoa!
[instrumental, kora leads] ♪ [band joins in full] ♪ ♪ Kurube nana Kalibala Mother, the world can change ♪ alla la baro junto baila but no one can deny God's vision.
♪ kurube fama Kalibala Father, the world can change ♪ alla la baro junto baila but no one can deny God's vision.
♪ kurube Diali Kalibala Diali, the world can change ♪ alla la baro junto baila but no one can deny God's vision.
♪ Nyancho Babu Sane Praises to you, King Sane.
♪ Sane muso luke To your wife.
♪ Botu Bama Gambian kolule To all the Gambian people.
♪ Habibu ba papis fama To your sons.
♪ Baba a duala ja bita King, your prayers are answered.
♪ Na sadala ja bita Mother has brought us these blessings.
♪ Wulula dua te boy no la Her prayers are forever answered.
♪ [instrumental] ♪ [tempo picks up] ♪ ♪ Jamu dafenex Peace and love!
♪ Jamu dafenex Peace and love!
♪ Jamu dafenex dowel Practice peace, practice love.
Yeah!
♪ [volume decreases] ♪ [song ends] >> Studying the music of Senegal, when you brought that into my life, has really changed my life and I've learned so much through that process.
It's been an amazing experience and, like you say, not without its challenges.
Not only to speak to one another, but to hear music as you might hear it.
And for us to be able to share those ideas, bring them together, and build something beautiful.
[kora, ballad style] ♪ [band joins] ♪ ♪ Sulele mama My sweet mother, where are you?
♪ Sulele nya mama ooo a la la la My sweet mother, where are you?
♪ ♪ Nyinte junto la Death is inescapable.
♪ Nyinte junto la Death is inescapable.
♪ Saya junto la You could not escape it, mother.
♪ Mama!
♪ I need you.
♪ Mama, I miss you so much.
♪ S'elle qui ma donne la vie, Mama.
It's she who gave me life, ♪ S'elle qui ma emmoner she who brought me ♪ sur la terre, to this earth.
♪ Mama, Je t'aime Mama, I love you.
♪ Ablaye mama eh, Annabelle Mama My children's grandmother, ♪ Ablaye mama, Annabelle Mama My own children's grandmother, ♪ Ablaye mama eh, Annabelle Mama My children's grandmother, ♪ Saliou Mama, kaliuoi mama ah maaaaaama mamaaaaa My nephews' grandmother.
♪ Tu me manque beaucoup I miss you so much.
♪ Kale jula ye manta dunia Mother has left this world.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Alli ne kumbo dunia We can cry for her.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Kale jula ye manta dunia Mother has left this world.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Alli ne kumbo dunia We can cry for her.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ ♪ Kale jula ye manta dunia Mother has left this world.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Alli ne kumbo dunia We can cry for her.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Ablaye, Mama Dunia My son, grandmother has left this world.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ Ablaye, Mama Dunia My son, grandmother has left this world.
(backup) ♪ Saya te junto la She could not escape death.
♪ ♪ Saya te jon, Saya te jon, Saya te jon tu la Mother, you could not escape death.
♪ Saya te jon, Saya te jon, Saya te jon tu la Mother, you could not escape death.
♪ Aline ne kumbo na nelwo We can cry for her, our mother.
♪ Saya we saya, We Sayaaaaaaaaaaaaa Mother.
you are gone.
Miss you mama.
>> [Austin] The woman wearing that big bubu.
It was one of the statues down there, that were dressed just like Diali's mother, and tonight we're playing a song that was dedicated to his mom also.
So, it was kind of cool making that connection.
Like wow, none of us were fortunate enough to meet his mom, but it's cool to hear that walking through there.
and he said, "It's just like mama."
>> [Diali]: She was dressed just like my mom.
[laughs] >> [Austin]: What it was wearing and everything.
It was cool to see a little insight.
Like wow, that's awesome.
[slow guitar solo] ♪ [up tempo] ♪ [band joins in] ♪ ♪ Suma rekela joy lelema Cry with me for my late brother.
♪ Bulem fate decko nyamel Please don't forget to pray for him.
♪ Momi ♪ Momi nacna sy He's going, ♪ Demna ni mom waitul nanyo And we will miss him.
♪ Naglim co nyala So let us pray for his passage.
♪ Al Hadji Al Hadji ♪ Al Hadji Al Hadji ♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ ♪ Al Hadji Aj Hadji ♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dem He's passing on.
♪ Sumurac y demna My brother.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dem Al Hadji has gone.
♪ Joy leleno Al Hadji Cry for Al Hadji.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dem Al Hadji has gone.
♪ Al Hadji Dem He's passing on.
♪ Al Hadji Dem He's passing on.
♪ ♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Al Hadji Aj Hadji Nyerem Let's go!
[guitar solo] ♪ ♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ (all) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on.
♪ Sumurac y demna My brother.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ Joy leleno Al Hadji Cry for Al Hadji.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ Al Hadji Dema He's passing on.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ Sumurac y demna My brother.
♪ (backup) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ Joy leleno Al Hadji Cry for Al Hadji.
♪ (all) Al Hadji Dema He's passing on... ♪ Ooo!
♪ ♪ Sumurac y demna My brother.
♪ Momi dem He's going.
♪ Al Hadji Dem Al Hadji is going.
♪ Momi dem, Sumurac y demna My brother has passed on.
♪ Sumu demmmmm.
Momieeeeeeeeee He's crossing over.
♪ Joy leleno Al Hadji Cry for Al Hadji.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Demna dem demna dem He's passing on.
♪ Al Hadji He has passed on.
♪ [song ends] >> Thank you!
>> [Will] We all come from different backgrounds as far as styles of music go.
For me it was punk rock and rock n' roll.
For Austin it was jazz and blues and rock n' roll.
For Jonathan it was jazz and different types of international music.
And so over the years we sort of found out what we can all bring to the common melting pot, to make something we were all really proud of.
It was hard to define.
We always had problems answering the questions, "“What does your band sound like?
"” And when our music was first recorded and taken to Senegal for the first time, Diali took our CD to Senegal and played it for people there and they thought his bandmates were Senegalese.
So, we kind of passed for being native Senegalese musicians.
But that's not like what we are going for.
We sort of going for taking Diali's sound and supporting it and adding our own influences, and just creating something we all love and want to share with other people.
[african folk style] ♪ ♪ Nyeeee la.Nyom la My dearest friends, ♪ Nyeeee la.
nyom la ju dondol my friends who I've grown up with, ♪ Nyom la yalondol.
nya lalalalala sharing the same experience, ♪ Suuu.... ♪ Ibrahima Kali lulaye Ibrahima ♪ Ndiogou Mboup ♪ Amdi Jouf falofu sy lande jenyer Amdi Diouf ♪ Pa al-Hassan ♪ Jelas bye Byen no Fallou ♪ Habibou Jeju, Abdoulaye Nja, Sidi Diang ♪ Oumar Koite ♪ Oumar Daffé ♪ Ahmed Thiandoum ♪ Go Sarr ♪ Thainda degelen degelen degelen You've all made me so happy.
♪ Judondo magando Xarit ye We grew up together, (backup) ♪ Yarando don xarit and became such close friends.
♪ Haaaaaaaaaa leagena It's been a long time, ♪ Haaaaaaaaaa dumafate but I will never forget you ♪ Le demboula and what we shared in the past.
♪ Judondo magando Xarit ye We grew up together ♪ Yarando don xarit And became such close friends.
♪ Haaaaaaaaaa leagena djeli le It's been a long time ♪ Haaaaaaaaaa dumafate but I will never forget you ♪ Le demboula and what we shared in the past.
[instrumental, kora leads] ♪ ♪ No no no no no ♪ Mes ami, je vous aime My friends, I love you.
♪ I can't I caaann't ♪ je vous aime beaucoup mes ami My friends, I love you so much.
♪ Nyemla dodundo, Mumola yerando We were born in the same moment, ♪ Ndiogou Mboup begali Mo Thaim Mamadou Thiam.
♪ Moy magam Nyandia Diouf moy yiyam Your mother, Nde Ndiaye Diouf.
♪ Judondo magando Xarit ye We grew up together ♪ Yarando don xarit and became such close friends.
♪ Haaaaaaaaaa leagena It's been a long time ♪ Haaaaaaaaaa dumafate but I will never forget you ♪ Le demboula and what we shared in the past.
♪ Nerem Let's go!
♪ Mes Ami, Mes ami, mes ami My friends.
♪ Je ne vous oubliez pas I will never forget you.
♪ Mes Ami, Mes ami, mes ami My friends.
♪ Je ne vous oubliez pas I will never forget you.
♪ Mes Ami, Mes ami, mes ami My friends.
♪ Je ne vous oubliez pas I will never forget you.
[acapella] ♪ Mes Ami, Mes ami, mes ami My friends.
♪ Je ne vous oubliez pas I will never forget you.
[song ends] Peace and love.
Thank you guys.
[kora solo, Diali humming] ♪ - [Announcer] "Offstage Live" is a production of the North Carolina Museum of Art in partnership with PBS North Carolina.
It's made possible through the generous support of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
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