Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto

The Senegalese griot singer-songwriter Ablaye Cissoko was born into one of the largest West African kora-playing dynasties, and researched his family’s musical traditions in the 2011 documentary film Griot, which explored the ways of telling stories and passing them on from father to son through music. He started releasing solo records himself in the 2000s, but his career is more typified by collaborations: he has recorded an LP with trumpet player Volker Goetze, and another with Simon Goubert from the jazz-rock outfit Magma, as well as a disc with the traditionalist ensemble Constantinople. Most recently, Cissoko released his second joint album with the French accordionist Cyrille Brotto in 2025. Following 2022’s Instant, they returned with Djiyo and are bringing their peaceful spiritual and mystical songs founded on the interplay of the kora and the accordion to the Müpa Budapest audience for an experience that is sure to clear the mind and warm the soul.