Constantinople
Estuary
Where cultures meet and blend together in the sea

Ablaye Cissoko kora and vocals
Kiya Tabassian setar and vocals
Patrick Graham percussions

Hafez (XIV secolo)
MaaLong

Ablaye Cissoko & Kiya Tabassian
Sokhna Si
Baba – The smile of the ocean

Hafez (XIV secolo)
Persian chant

Ablaye Cissoko
Amadou – The vital force of the sun

Hafez (XIV secolo)
Envol

Ablaye Cissoko & Kiya Tabassian
Nanfoulé – The Grace

in collaboration with Campania Teatro Festival e Fondazione AterFondazione


If music is the link between different cultures, then this synthesis can be taken to new heights. With almost thirty years of experience, the Constantinople ensemble starts from world music and extends beyond space and time into the history of peoples, personal experiences, established traditions and visions of the future. Tabassian, an Iranian setar master who grew up in Canada, is a leading figure in Quebec’s academic music scene. Cissoko, from Senegal but based in Saint-Louis, is the heir to an ancient lineage of griots, and an explorer of natural and cultural geographies. Their collaboration with the adventurous and talented percussionist Patrick Graham bridges the gap between ancient Persia and the Mandingo empires, broadening their perspective.