RECORDINGS IN THE MALIAN DESERT, UGANDAN HOTEL ROOMS, ABANDONED GAMBIA NIGHTCLUBS
PLUS PERFORMANCES WITH OUMOU SANGARE, BASSEKOU KOUYATE, THE MUWEWESU XYLOPHONE GROUP
HARUNA SAMAKE AND MORE
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13-time Grammy winner Bela Fleck is proud to announce Throw Down Your Heart: Africa Sessions Part 2, Unreleased Tracks, the follow-up album to the two-time Grammy winning album Throw Down Your Heart (Best Contemporary World Album and Best Pop Instrumental Performance).
Africa Sessions: Part 2 marks the first release through Fleck's own label, Acoustic Planet. “This is a labor of love for me," adds Bela. “I'm so glad to be getting this music out there and providing the opportunity for you to hear these magnificent musicians."
The expanded musical travelogue includes collaborations in the Malian desert with guitarist Afel Bocoum, a spontaneous hotel recording with bowed lyrist Albert Bisaso Ssempeke, Jr., thumb pianist Haruna Walisimbe ("a wonderful spirit"), an old fiddle tune ("The Rights of Man") melded with the Haruna Samake Trio, and traditional Malian music with tour mate Bassekou Kouyate. Fleck also joined the Muwewesu Xylophone Group ("I didn't know what beat I was on, but I didn't care"), blind thumb pianist Anania Ngoliga, Malian star Oumou Sangare, guitarists Djelimady Tounkara and D'Gary, the Jatta Family, and met up with akonting player Jesus Jah Jarju in an abandoned nightclub in the Gambia.
Hailed by the LA Times as an “important work of artistic memory and conscience," Throw Down Your Heart is an album and award-winning documentary that explores the African origins of the banjo through on-location collaborations with musicians in Uganda, Tanzania, the Gambia and Mali.
Bela recently wrapped his 33-city Africa Project tour with Bassekou Kouyate & N'goni Ba, Anania Ngoliga & John Kitime to incredible reviews:
“shuttled a rapt audience deep into the rich musical landscapes of Africa... a musical moment that won't be forgotten." - Denver Post
“a triumph of authentic, open-hearted music and even a common humanity." - Ottawa Citizen
Throw Down Your Heart: Africa Sessions Part 2, Unreleased Tracks is currently available on iTunes and through belafleck.com.
