Three masters of music meet:

Moussa Sissoko, Joachim Kühn und Walter Quintus.

Moussa Sissoko’s career as a percussionist began in Dakar playing for the National Ballet of Senegal. Today, he can look back on a list of famous musicians whom he has played with live and in the studio. Of course, these are, above all African artists, such as Youssou N’Dour, Salif Kaita, Mory Cante and Toure Kunda, but also, for example the european Gipsy Kings. All of them are well­known names in the World Music scene.

But what is new, also for Sissoko, is playing together with one of the best european jazz pianists, Joachim Kühn. Kühn’s biography would fill several pages, because he is known to be one of the most innovative jazz musicians world­wide. He watched Moussa Sissoko perform at several international festivals and was able to win him as his partner on „Ala Tamala“. Due to these sessions, they both received a better view of eachothers work. Joachim Kühn explains it as follows: „Moussa’s talent, the way he plays, his energy, his deep sence for native traditional music melts with my jazzy, avantgarde piano. This fusion is a lot more than the meeting of two musicians. My interest in Moussa Sissoko is also that of a talent seeker and producer, working together with Walter Quintus on the digital soundboards, to find new elements of World Music and add them to Jazz.“

„Ala Tamala“, Kühn, Quintus and Sissoko’s first mutual production with compositions by all three musicians, Kühn deliberately sets compact ostinati runs against Sissoko’s percussions. Sissoko is the main figure of this production. The difficult polyrhythms evolving from his Congas, Djembes and Talking Drums are like the ever­burning flame of Africa. Pure Energy!

Joachim Kühn and his good friend and music collegue Walter Quintus initiate their activity as producer’s for up­coming young musicians with this production. It is their personal wish to pass on their experience to talented musicians and for Kühn, it is also the beginning of a new professional career as a producer. „Ala Tamala“ is an exciting World­Jazz production and as such the basis for more to come.