Alondra

Following her award-winning 2023 album with kora-player Kadialy Kouyate, US-based Chinese pipa virtuoso Gao Hong returns with a new duo collaboration, this time with flamenco guitarist Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde. Conceived when she was presented with the unexpected opportunity to record at Abbey Road Studios, Gao Hong opted to explore new territory with a London-based musician, rather than settle for the relative comfort of a solo recording. In a week she and Monteverde compiled a repertoire that draws from their respective backgrounds, as well as semi-improvised original material. The chemistry between the two players is clear from opening track ‘Skylark Call’, which blossoms from a gentle Mixolydian improvisation into a gorgeously composed unison melody, underscored by a flamenco-style tango rhythm. While Gao Hong and Monteverde come from disparate traditions, there’s a shared sense of yearning that runs through much of Alondra. ‘Longing for My Lover’ is a familiar folk melody from Yunnan province, which evokes a woman searching for her lost love; while ‘Prayer’ is Monteverde’s sombre tribute to those he lost during COVID-19. ‘On the Clock’ is a particular highlight: a thrilling bulería on which Gao Hong stretches her improvisatory capabilities, taking her instrument into unfamiliar modal realms. Filled with exquisite musicality and effortless spontaneity, Alondra is an impeccably chosen set of pieces by two masters of their craft.