"Jazz sous les Pommiers" celebrated its 40th anniversary!
(Part 2)
Audio 37:35
Vincent Segal and Ballaké Sissoko, during the 40th "Jazz sous les Pommiers" festival.
© Francis Bellamy / JSLP 2021
By: Joe Farmer Follow
41 mins
Who would have said, at the start of the 1980s, that a small Norman festival succeeded in becoming the undisputed meeting place of world cultures?
Although the pandemic has shaken up habits a little, "Jazz sous les Pommiers" has defied the obstacles.
Thus, in Coutances, from August 25 to 29, 2021, dozens of musicians met to offer the public moments of exceptional grace and musical jubilation.
Mali, Cuba, Angola, United States, France, Congo, Mexico, many countries were represented as if it was necessary to display international harmony in these uncertain times and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the festival with dignity!
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On August 27, 2021, a legendary African-American pianist came to treat fans of silky jazz. At 78 years old, Kenny Barron excited the Norman public with the delicacy of his multicolored playing and the rhythmic and harmonic virtuosity of his trio. For more than half a century, this fine melodist has been circling around the international stages alongside the greatest instrumentalists of "L'épopée des Musiques Noires". It took a pandemic for it to reduce, constrained and forced, the rate of its services. He was therefore delighted to finally find the clamor of the spectators to perform extracts from his latest album,
Without Deception
, mixed with Latin and Caribbean accents that he particularly likes. "
It turns out that when I moved to Brooklyn in my youth, I lived in a predominantly Caribbean neighborhood. This is where my passion for these traditional music comes from. I heard them constantly when I was younger. One of the very first concerts I gave was in an orchestra of West Indian musicians. I remember having taken a lot of fun there! The simple fact of living in Brooklyn brought me into the world of the Caribbean. There was a record store not far from my house and I spent all my free time discovering the latest Caribbean music releases. There was also a lot of jazz and a few hip-hop records which was the stammering musical genre of the time. The simple fact of listening to all this sound diversity made me appreciate this so special culture.I must add that Dizzy Gillespie put my foot in the stirrup. I met him in 1962 and we played you together until 1966. With him, I played a lot of Caribbean, African and South American music, especially Brazilian. All this must have contributed to forging my musical identity ".
(Kenny Barron at Joe Farmer's microphone).
Kenny Barron in concert, August 27, 2021 in Coutances (Normandy).
© Francis Bellamy / JSLP 2021
The next day, August 28, 2021, another musical mood bewitched festival-goers again. Ballaké Sissoko, whose open-mindedness undoubtedly nourishes creativity, welcomed around his kora a host of guests from very diverse backgrounds. Initially, this concert was to be that of his colleague Sona Jobarteh, but travel restrictions linked to the health crisis did not allow this performance to be maintained. Ballaké Sissoko therefore hastily improvised a show in the company of his partner, the cellist Vincent Segal, who arrived in Coutances at the last minute. Both were surrounded by Piers Faccini, Fatim Kouyaté, Lansiné Kouyaté, Adama Dembele and Badgé Tounkara. The crystalline sound of all these seasoned musicians delighted the thronging crowd. The
Djourou
album
constituted the main part of the repertoire performed this Saturday in August 2021 even if we had the feeling to discover in preview, during the preamble of this concert, snippets of the last disc to date
A Touma
.
After 40 years of existence, "Jazz sous les Pommiers" remains an endearing, open, curious festival, which faces the turpitudes of our time to impose its vision of an ever more welcoming, generous and altruistic cultural universe.
The appointment has already been made for the 41st edition which will find, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the usual spring dates for the month of May.
→ The site of the
Festival Jazz sous les Pommiers
Ballaké Sissoko surrounded by his friends and musicians, after his concert on August 28, 2021. © Francis Bellamy / JSLP 2021
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"Jazz sous les Pommiers" celebrated its 40th anniversary!
(Part 1)
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#Live session of Ballaké Sissoko for the release of the album "Djourou"