Raven Performing Arts Center presents Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper

Ballaké Sissoko is a seminal improviser with an ability to unlock every possible nuance on the kora with subtleties rarely heard on any instrument – let alone the kora, which is over 700 years old. Derek Gripper’s love of the kora set him transcribing and recording some of the greatest works of the instrument, changing the face of classical guitar and giving the instrument its very first African repertoire. Derek and Ballaké first met in 2022 in Paris, to perform a unique show together of completely improvised music. They returned to the stage in London a month later, and then to the recording studio for a full-length album.

Their performances and recordings are all achieved without any verbal communication, just a mutual love of their shared repertoire and the possibilities of the plucked string.