Ballaké Sissoko & Piers Faccini

“…a sonic and narrative tribute to migration in all its forms, be it through nature as seeds borne by the winds, migratory birds flying between West Africa and Europe at the turn of the seasons, or human journeys conducted over the centuries and along trade routes, sharing musical modes, practices and rhythms.” – At the Barrier

Just gorgeous music that is original, pure, and new. Ballaké and Piers create songs that blend West African rhythms and melodies with the traditional folk music of the British Isles. Malian master kora player Ballaké Sissoko was last on our stage with the French cellist Vincent Ségal for a sold-out concert in 2017. This consummate musical collaborator is now touring with the British singer/guitarist (and visual artist) Piers Faccini, and the songs they are creating together are an exquisite example of two disparate worlds coming together in a way that is moving and profound.  

London-born, to an Italian father and English mother, Piers Faccini is a man of many talents – poet, painter, singer-songwriter and author. He specializes in music of a folky flavor in general and world music in particular.  A founder member of Charley Marlowe, with whom he released one album, This Could Be You, in 2000, he’s since released eight solo albums – most recently Shapes of The Fall in 2021.  Piers is a willing collaborator and has, over the years, worked with an impressive range of artists, including Rokia Traoré, Busi Mhlongo, Ben Harper and Dawn Landes, with whom he recorded an EP, Desert Songs in 2016.

Known as a master of the kora, Malian musician Ballaké Sissoko has been playing professionally for most of his life – indeed, he joined the Ensemble Instrumental du Mali (the Malian national orchestra of traditional music) aged just 13.  He has an impressive string of albums to his name, dating back to his 1998 debut, Kora Music from Mali, and like Piers, he’s a keen collaborator, having recorded albums with artists such as Vincent Segal, Toumani Diabaté, Rokia Traoré and, most recently, Nicole Mitchell.