balimaya project: wolo so
Francisco Espregueira
Via the jazz-house force of Jazz re:freshed, we are delighted to feature the raw energy and musicality of the Balimaya Project and their debut Wolo So. Initiated by Yahael Camara Onono, this colelctive brings together sixteen musicians including members of Kokoroko and the SEED Ensemble, two well known projects hailing from the melting pot of London’s jazz and organic grooves movement. Balimaya means “the essence of kinship” in the Maninka language, referring to a family model in which history and shared experiences are superior to blood ties., thus reflecting how the collective conceives of itself: as a family.
Wolo So is based on the exchange of a communal passion for jazz, rap and Afrobeats. Driving collective polyrhythms, blazing frontline horns & virtuosic kora stylings collide across this dynamic meeting of traditional Mandé music/culture and contemporary jazz. On the djembé, Yahel Camara Onono leads the band, bringing together black artists throughout the UK, as well as musicians from the African continent. The result is a blossoming musical trip through modern perspectives on the mystical and old sounds of Mandé, a genre that has so much to explore and so many ways of being expanded. The way the Balimaya Project does that, is remarkable and unique. Available on vinyl, courtesy of Jazz Re:freshed.
“Coming together, being emotionally available as young black men in the diaspora is just not celebrated enough. We all rely on each other.”
Balimaya Project is composed by:
Yahael Camara Onono - Lead Djembe/Arranger/Composer/ Voice /Sangban
N’famady Kouyaté - Balafon/Sangban/ Voice
Jali Bakary Konte - Kora
Skanda Sabbagh - Dounoun
Adeegun Crispin Robinson - Congas/voice
Paul Goumou - Omele/Shekere/Sakara
Michael Adesina - Lead Talking Drums/Sakara
Moses Olukayode - Talking Drums/Sakara
Yohan Kebede - Keys
Godwin Sonzi - Guitar/voice
Jonathan Monga Moko - Bass/voice
Nathaniel Cross - Trombone
Joe Bristow - Trombone
Elias Ntiamoah Atkinson - Flugelhorn/Trumpet
Ife Ogunjobi - Trumpet
Triston Dubison - Kit
Mariam Tounkara Koné - Solo Vocal