Yacouba Sissoko & Siya
Bar LunÀtico486 Halsey Street, New York 11233
Yacouba Sissoko leads SIYA in two sets, with Sissoko on kora and vocals, Mamoudou Konaté on talking drum, Moussa Manfa Diabate on n’goni, Kayode Kuti on bass and Alex Saho on drums. The group brings traditional African songs into conversation with jazz, Latin and R&B playing.
Born in Kita, Mali, to a djely family, Sissoko is a master kora player from the djely tradition. He has toured with artists including Regina Carter, Baaba Maal and Roberto Fonseca, and recorded with Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon and Ami Koita.
A basement club in Bedford-Stuyvesant, LunÀtico is a musician-owned space where live music starts at 9pm nightly, following dinner service. The stage is modest, with a single chair for the band, and the audience sits on wooden booths or the floor, close enough to feel the energy. The room is lit by dim bulbs, with walls lined with vintage posters and a few well-worn speakers. There's a bar with original cocktails, craft beer, and wine, and a dinner menu available from 6pm to 11pm. Shows are donation-based, with a $10 recommendation in cash. It's a place where people listen to music and talk afterward, in a familiar, unpolished setting.