Flamenkora

About this event

By sensitively and skillfully interweaving improvised trumpet and flamenco guitar with traditional mandinka kora and vocals from Senegal, FlamenKora creates timeless and enchanting multicultural music; a welcome balm in these troubled times. Volker Goetze’s evocative trumpet lines dance gracefully with the soulful vocals and kora of his newest duo partner, the esteemed master of traditional Mande music – Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko. Up-and-coming Rio de Janeiro and Madrid based flamenco guitar maestro Roberto Monteiro is the newest band member, adding authentic Spanish flair with driving rhythms and subtle, imaginative colors. As the group’s founder and producer, Goetze brings a special wisdom to FlamenKora, acquired not only through decades of devotion to West African Mande music, but also through a deep mastery of jazz composition and arrangement and a recent deep dive into the melodic and rhythmic traditions of flamenco. In 2025 FlamenKora spent June in residence at the Manship Artists Residency, developing new compositions and deepening the project’s fusion of flamenco, kora traditions, and jazz. Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko kora, vocals A virtuoso kora player, singer and modern griot, Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko carries forward the legacy of grandfather, the legendary “King of the Kora,” Soundioulou Cissokho. Renowned for his inventive style, Cissoko seamlessly blends Mandingo traditions with Senegalese and Western influences, creating thrilling music that is both timeless and innovative. He has collaborated with global luminaries such as Youssou N’Dour, Angelique Kidjo, Omar Sosa, Tony Allen, and Piers Faccini, expanding the reach of the kora – enchanting sound. As a cultural ambassador, Cissoko’s music preserves the rich oral traditions of the Mandingo people while pushing the boundaries of contemporary world music. “Ali Boulo Santo’s style of playing the kora is outstanding because of his perfect mastering of this ancient instrument as well as his willingness to…

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