Yaya Diallo

Amalgamation is the basis for creative growth. An artist hears the rhythms and melodies from a style outside of their own and infuses them into their creations. Although some styles seem to emerge out of thin air, they are always an interpretation and extrapolation of what has come before. It's the conversation between players that gives birth to new forms. A family tree that stretches back to the first beatings of sticks on rocks and fast-forwards into a future beyond our reckoning. Traditions from different continents are fused and the styles of the uptight conventionalists can be melded with the wild abandon of more liberated cultures.

Montreal multi-instrumentalist Yaya Diallo has taken instruments from his native Mali and interjected them into a classical group of strings and flute. The balafon, djembe, and talking drum are played with a free-form jazz sensibility while his quartet repeats hypnotic mantras. The passages bend and fold over each other as Diallo rephrases the repeated rhythm in countless different iterations. The result is a worldly record that feels like a bridge between worlds. Over this conglomeration, vocalists Malia Pellerin and Sara Rénélik convey joyous pure emotion.

'Kachi Zie's gently cycling percussion recalls quotidian chores and goings-on while Jeanne-Sophie Baron's soulful violin conveys the strength and quiet dignity of life's many percolations. 'Mato' begins with a stirring a capella which is joined by the patter of the balafon like much-needed raindrops on a drought-ridden savannah. 'Hakili' forgoes the percussion allowing for a mid-album segue that focuses on the gorgeous strings.

In the latter half, 'Fantakolo Parts 1 & 2' find the hand drum returning to invoke more joyful exuberance as the vocals join the flute in unison. As part 2 evolves, Diallo's accents become more erratic and spontaneous giving a loose jazz feel to counter the clock-like rigidity of the classical quartet. 'Gifano' is lively like a galloping horse. 'Teriya' is chaotic, Diallo strays to a timing all his own and back again to join the others. The connection between the worlds is at its most tenuous here. The closer 'Hoo' features a royal atmosphere brought by the strings juxtaposed by a wildly errant flute that might remind some of a child's recorder recital. It's a challenging listen that brashly shirks convention.

Kachii: Traditions to Traditions is a fascinating listen which is truly unique and groundbreaking. The group's classical passages are steadfast and executed with the precision and passion of a world-class quartet. Diallo's percussion lends flamboyant colour to the mix. At times congruent, at times wildly tangental, and sometimes completely divergent. The definition of togetherness in jazz is broad and subjective. The vocals act as a middle ground bridging Eastern and Western worlds with grace and playfulness. The path to new musical terrain must be travelled by the adventurers and Diallo's latest album is certainly adventurous.