Soar

Welsh harpist Catrin Finch was named Harpist to the Prince of Wales and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita comes from a long line of West African griots and royalty. They collaborated on this album which takes as its motif the flight of the osprey; both players play more notes faster and more beautifully than I have ever heard anyone play harp or kora; this is fusion at its highest level

No FCC's; favorite tracks: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8

*1—Clarach –6:03—name of first Dyfi osprey to be born in Wales in modern times and subsequently to return from Africa as adult to rear her own chicks; obviously with great meaning and significance to the musicians given their origins; beautiful and mysterious composition; tracks from minor to major

2—Teranga-Bah –5:58 – Teranga means “hospitality” in Wolof and Bah means “great” in Mandinka, both languages spoken by Seckou; lovely airy but rhythmic piece with harp and kora interweaving and Seckou singing “Open the gate” in the latter part

3-- Yama Ba—5:35 – nicely syncopated piece composed for a Fulani patroness by Seckou's uncle

*4-- Bach to Baisso (5:50) – blend of classical Bach from the Goldberg Variations with one of the oldest tune-types in the kora repertoire; starts off with exquisite rendition of the Bach that segues into the not totally different-sounding very precise Baissa; with lyrics sung under the cascading notes

5—1677 (6:02) – commemorates the takeover of the island of Goree off Senegal by the French and the beginning of a horrific slave trade in the region; the blues sound represents the rocking of the boats that took them away

*6—Listen to the Grass Grow –4:24 – with just a few chord changes Catrin Finch created this lovely flowing, harpistic piece

*7—Hinna-Djulo—5:54 – in Mandinka this means “soul strings.” Long evolving collaborative piece between the two players; some nice quarter tones and trills in there

*8 – Cofiwch Dryweryn –4:54-- commemorates farm land flooded in Wales in 1965 to supply Liverpool with water; gorgeous, crystalline lament with Catrin's voice declaiming and Seckou singing behind the unceasing arpeggios