Western electronic soundscapes meets the enchanting sound of the kora
AA Musical Dialogue Across Cultures and Soundscapes
Radicants is a unique musical project that delves into the idea of “dynamic roots,” where tradition and innovation converge to create new sonic landscapes. At its core is the meeting between an ancient, ancestral instrument like the kora—played by the virtuoso Ballaké Sissoko—and the resonant yet intricate world of electronic music, as crafted by acclaimed composer and sound artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch. This collaboration expands the possibilities of the kora, transforming its voice in ways that transcend time and geography.
The project is not about blending opposites—acoustic and electronic, African and Western, traditional and contemporary—but about finding common ground where these elements evolve together, amplifying and enriching each other. The electronic soundscape doesn’t simply accompany the kora but actively interacts with it, enhancing its tonalities and pushing the boundaries of what both the instrument and technology can achieve together.
In Radicants, the essence of the kora serves as the foundation from which the electronic dimension unfolds, creating a space of resonance, reflection, and reinvention. The performance immerses the audience in a 360-degree sound experience, with speakers surrounding the venue to create a spatialized, enveloping auditory journey. This interplay between the organic and the digital is central to the project—where improvisation and exploration drive the music forward.
Premiered on April 7, 2022, at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble, Radicants has since toured through France, Italy, and Belgium, captivating audiences with its immersive, boundary-pushing performances. This is a project about collaboration, curiosity, and the creation of new roots that are dynamic, evolving, and capable of embracing the complexity of our interconnected world. It invites listeners to leave behind the idea of fixed traditions and enter a kaleidoscopic sound world, where music becomes an act of shared discovery.
LINEUP:
Group Size: 2 Artists + 1 technician (at times 1 tour manager)
Ballaké Sissoko: kora
Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch : Electronics and artistic direction
Jean-François Domingues: Sound and lights
STREAMING
RADICANTS by Ballake Sissoko and Lorenzo Bianche Hoesch
// Ornithology, August 2024
Press quotes
"...Together, they abolish the boundaries between acoustics and electronics, to weave a unique link between tradition and innovation. A sound dialogue without borders"
-Hélène Bailly, AFRIK.com
"...lungo paesaggi sonori riflessivi o romantici, onirici o celestiali,(...) per buttarsi a sorpresa verso un'elettronica dalle pulsazioni più prepotenti e aggressive. Bianchi Hoesch segue le improvvisazioni di Sissoko e le asseconda in trasformazioni armoniose che ampliano con spontaneità le intenzioni del maliano, rendendo sempre più impercettibile il confine tra i due musicisti. Ammalianti le improvvisazioni che si attardano nello sviluppo di piccole particelle, reiterandole in sequenze ipnotiche che potrebbero durare all'infinito."
- - Giacomo Baroni
VIDEOS
Déba foli | A Take Away Show
Teaser - 2024
Live at Theatre Levi-Strauss au Musée du Quai Branly, 9-10-2022
Western electronic soundscapes meets the enchanting sound of the kora
AA Musical Dialogue Across Cultures and Soundscapes Radicants is a unique musical project that delves into the idea of “dynamic roots,” where tradition and innovation converge to create new sonic landscapes. At its core is the meeting between an ancient, ancestral instrument like the kora—played by the virtuoso Ballaké Sissoko—and the resonant yet intricate world of electronic music, as crafted by acclaimed composer and sound artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch. This collaboration expands the possibilities of the kora, transforming its voice in ways that transcend time and geography.
The project is not about blending opposites—acoustic and electronic, African and Western, traditional and contemporary—but about finding common ground where these elements evolve together, amplifying and enriching each other. The electronic soundscape doesn’t simply accompany the kora but actively interacts with it, enhancing its tonalities and pushing the boundaries of what both the instrument and technology can achieve together. In Radicants, the essence of the kora serves as the foundation from which the electronic dimension unfolds, creating a space of resonance, reflection, and reinvention. The performance immerses the audience in a 360-degree sound experience, with speakers surrounding the venue to create a spatialized, enveloping auditory journey. This interplay between the organic and the digital is central to the project—where improvisation and exploration drive the music forward.Premiered on April 7, 2022, at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble, Radicants has since toured through France, Italy, and Belgium, captivating audiences with its immersive, boundary-pushing performances. This is a project about collaboration, curiosity, and the creation of new roots that are dynamic, evolving, and capable of embracing the complexity of our interconnected world. It invites listeners to leave behind the idea of fixed traditions and enter a kaleidoscopic sound world, where music becomes an act of shared discovery.
LINEUP:
Group Size: 2 Artists + 1 technician (at times 1 tour manager)