Other guests on “Abaraká!/Tack!” come
from the ranks of the great folk music family Cissokho. Solo’s
sister Adama Cissokho, with her warm, dark vocals, and Solo’s
niece Binta Suso, with her straightforward yet lively vocal
style sing on some of the songs and Solo’s nephew Seckou
Keita plays percussion. They bring with them the great, long
tradition of their family and indeed also play together in
the family-band Jalikunda.
Seckou is a well-known kora player and percussionist
living in England, where he plays in several bands and works
as a session musician. He quickly found his place between Ellika’s
triple and Solo’s quadruple time and is yet another musician
that Ellika & Solo love playing with.
Naturally there are also a number of duos here featuring just
Ellika and Solo, where the viola meets the Senegalese kora
in the kind of magical melodies we remember from the first
album. Spirited playing and the joy of discovery are very much
in evidence just as before and several of the songs have an
uncontrollable, wild tempo to them.