Terri Kunda

Conceived during an international Zoom call, this collaboration between US-based pipa virtuoso Gao Hong and London-based kora master Kadialy Kouyate is a carefully crafted work of spontaneity. With the title translating as ‘House of Friendship’, this sets the tone for a joyful and emotionally generous set of pieces, which could possibly be the first meeting between the pair's respective instruments. With Gao and Kadialy each taking charge of half of the pieces, the music flows in a manner that feels both composed and improvised, the two drawing on folk melodies from both China and Kadialy's native Senegal. ‘Sun Rising’ is based on an ebullient tune from south China, and ‘Fulani Blues’ does likewise with a song from the Fulani region of southern Senegal, the two pieces mirroring each other like an exchange of gifts between the players.

The title-track is a particular highlight, featuring as it does Kadialy's warm and inviting vocal, and ‘Taking It Easy’ provides one of the album's most gorgeous and plaintive melodic moments. ‘Between Stars’ is a more spontaneous offering, with Gao's gently chiming harmonics decorating Kadialy's expressive and thoughtful kora playing. The aforementioned sense of warmth permeates the whole of Terri Kunda, culminating in the upbeat and optimistic ‘Joyful World’, a fitting end to an album that radiates a playful unity.