Lazy Sunday: Tamala

Travelers between tradition and innovation Tamala means "travelers"; and that is exactly what these four musicians are. They commute effortlessly back and forth between Senegal and Belgium, between kora and violin, between ancestral traditions and a contemporary European touch. On their third album Diboli—named after the village on the border of Senegal and Mali where Mola Sylla's ancestors come from—Tamala embraces the quartet for the first time. A tribute to the many forgotten musicians who have shaped the rich West African music traditions. That spiritual connection with the past breathes through every note. Mola Sylla surprises with a powerful voice and a range of self-made instruments. Koravirtuoos Bao Sissoko grooves and composes. Wouter Vandenabele adds a contemporary touch on violin. En Olivier Vander Bauwede colors the whole with a bluesy harmonica. Together they are more than the sum of their parts.