Anarouz

It has been a decade since the three master musicians of 3MA – Ballaké Sissoko (kora), Driss El Maloumi (oud) and Rajery (valiha) – recorded their debut together. But ten years the wiser and with frequent performances together under their belts, this pan-African trio sounds as fresh as it did in 2008. Aside from hand percussion from Khalid Kouhen on two tracks, and occasional touches of vocal, this is a festival of pure string playing, a succession of weaving melodies, grooves and harmonies. Each instrument, each musical personality, is immediately distinctive and steps up to solo or own the melody at different points.

Driss’ rich, resonant oud (lute) playing brings much textural weight; Ballaké's famous fast-fingered kora playing bubbles up from nowhere. The valiha – a Malagasy tube zither – has a less familiar sound, with a history far away from the north and north-west of Africa, and possesses a thinner but delicately courtly timbre. Rajery brings an enjoyably laid-back feel to the music. He leads the line, and it sounds like his vocals that are featured on perhaps the most spine-tingling of the many fine tunes here, ‘Aretina’ – a ballad with an unmistakeably southern African lilt. ‘Awal’ is an entrancing kora-led finale. Anarouz was worth the wait.