The Venezuelan harp meets the kora of Mandinga culture in African-American-European supergroup ¡Vaya Mandinga!

Whereas the African influences on Venezuela's drum music are widely acknowledged, its national musical style, joropo, where the harp is the key instrument, has always been explained as deriving from strictly European classical traditions. José Franco, the maestro of joropo harp playing, and Senegambian griot Lamin Kuyateh demonstrate that there also is a strong African connection.

On traditionals from both sides of the ocean and new songs composed together, they are supported by some of Venezuela's and Holland's finest musicians: percussionists Gustavo Ovalles and Jo Hendriks, singers Nereida and Betsayda Machado, guitarist Rafael Larez, bass player Carel van Rijn, shaman-saxophonist Pablo García and a host of guests, including Alex 'Cotufa' Acosta, Eckaterina Guerra, Carlos and José Pérez, Omar Márquez and Willy Díaz.

The band's experimentation without frontiers makes this a unique CD: a kind of transatlantic exorcism!

Tracklist

1. Tumbao Mandinga
2. Terrya
3. Nuestro Hotel
4. Ritmos de la Humanidad
5. Andalucia
6. Sutukung
7. La Magía del Arpa
8. Bamba Bojang
9. Coroso
10. Sireno Palero
11. Oración para la Compasión
12. El Dorado
13. Canto y Pinto
14. Romance of the Casamance
15. Darling
16. Yemayá
17. Mambo del Diablo
18. Stringed to Senegambia

Video: ¡Vaya Mandinga! - Tumbao Mandinga