Djékady, a six-piece ensemble blending West African and American musical traditions, makes its first appearance in Kalamazoo at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct 12 at Bell's Eccentric Cafe as part of the Connecting Chords Music Festival.
Cellist Mike Block, who co-leads the band with Malian musician Bala Kouyate, tells Cara Lieurance that their collaboration is rooted in cross-cultural exchange. Kouyate plays the balafon, a mallet instrument with metal bars and resonating gourds. His family has produced balafon players for 800 years as part of the Djéli tradition, a West African storytelling practice through music.
The band's name means "it's good to come together" in Mandinka. Their lineup includes three West African musicians and three American musicians, bringing together traditions from Mali, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and the United States. Bassist Mike Revard also plays sintir, a low-pitched Moroccan instrument, adding another layer to their sound.
A Grammy-winning member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble since 2005, Block was trained as a classical cellist and now loves the sponteneity of Djékady's shows. "I actually never know what's going to happen," he says.
The group recently recorded an album set for October release. Block promises an energetic performance: "Not many classical music concerts ends with people dancing on their feet. But I guarantee that the audience at Bell's eccentric cafe will be on their feet by the end of the show."
Tickets are available through the Connecting Courts Festival website.
This interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
