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LISTEN: A Curva Da Cintura – ‘Kaira’

Yes! You read that right! We are proud to announce the release of the cross-continent collaboration between Malian kora legend Toumani Diabaté and Brazilian legends, Arnaldo Antunes and Edgard Scandurra on the 11th June. A European tour begins with the trio performing at the London Back2Black Festival at the Old Billingsgate Market on 1 July.

Following a collaboration at the 2010 edition of the Brazilian festival Back2Black, Toumani Diabaté invited Brazilian songwriter and poet Arnaldo Antunes and guitar-hero Edgard Scandurra to Mali to record with him. Toumani’s sublime kora playing is the perfect contrast to Arnaldo’s sombre almost mechanical voice and adds a poignancy to ballads such as ‘Grao de chaos’, ‘Psiu’ and Toumani’s composition ‘Kaira’. With Toumani leading the ballads, his son Sidiki features on the album’s more lively numbers.

Arnaldo and Edgard arrived in Mali in April 2011 with a collection of songs they had written together. With the Malian musicians they combined rock ‘n’ roll, African roots and blues to create an uplifting Afro-Brazilian fusion that celebrates the spirit of collaboration and connects Mali and Brazil in a way that blurs geographical and musical boundaries.

UK LIVE SHOWS

1st July 2012 – Back2Black Festival – Old Billingsgate Market – London: http://www.barbican.org.uk/back2black/

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