This music, for harp-guitar, kora, gongoma and riti is inspired in the parallel myths of Ares and Afrodite and the Aztec myth of Xochiquetzal and Huiztilopochtli. In both myths there is a love story between the god of war and the goddess of love.

This paradox gives us insight into the nature of human conflict.

The riti section was composed in a dream. I heard the melody and when I woke up I told Djibril Ba (my riti player) to play something different than what he was doing.

He played the exact melody I had dreamed of.

African Road Tracks is a two part album recorded in Senegal during a 4 month stay playing with traditional musicians, kora players, riti, calimba, gongoma, balafon players. It mixes West African traditional music, soundscapes, sound processing, guitar and harp guitar music.

All the kora music is played by traditional griots, a legendary caste of musicians said to have mystical powers.

This first part has no intervention by me, I do not play in these recordings nor did I alter them, they contain almost no edition and are pure traditional kora (a 21 string double harp) Mandinka music and riti (like a one string viola) Poular music as it is played today.

The last two songs show contemporary african kora music and song by Babou Diébaté.

* 50% of earnings are given to the tradicional musicians and their families, the other 50% is used to further support our ongoing musical collaboration.

This is the second part of the African Road Tracks album. This is mostly about my musical collaboration with Babou Diébaté. This is the music that led me to become part of the Diébaté family and have the permission to receive traditional griot teachings.

Griots are paradoxical people, revered by many and feared by more. They are said to wield the mystical powers of words and music. They have been counselors to kings, mediators and peace keepers. It is said that their words can "open all the doors". The word griot comes from "blood", They are the protectors of the blood, the families, lineages, ancestors.

Their profound role... is reconciliation.

This second part is more experimental in nature, mixing contemporary african, soundscapes, sound processing, harp-guitar and guitar. There are no traditional songs except one.