Ah, the magic of collaboration between masters of radically different musical traditions! A Stockholm jam session between Ellika Frisell, a player of Swedish fiddle and viola in the Bingsjo and Orso traditions, and Solo, a storyteller and adept of the kora, (West African harp), led to this astounding CD project.

These musicians weave in and around each other's phrases in ways that are often beyond belief, somehow they have created a common musical language. Ellika brings classical Nordic styles -- polska, schottische and waltz --while Solo brings stories of his native Senegal and the strains of his kora,(which resembles nothing so much as a four foot tall banjo). Each of the players has learned the other's idiom and the interplay between the two is seamless.

The result is extremely difficult to describe and makes me wish that Green Man Review could provide audio samples with its reviews. The collaboration was undoubtedly facilitated by Ellika's study of non-Nordic music such as Southern Indian classical. At the same time, her command of the Nordic is solid, based on tutelage under Nils Agenmark and Gustav Pakkos.

Solo is simply an easy-going genius. While his vocal range is somewhat limited, he has the characteristic West African expressiveness in abundance, as he sings about people and events of his rural homeland in his native tongue. His themes revolve around his family, their farm lands, and a deep respect for them. The "Takissaba" part of the CD's title is a song that Solo learned from his uncle, the master kora player Dialy Mory Cissokho. It is a complex piece that starts in triple time and ends in quadruple time. On the CD, it meets with a polska from Jamtland.

The combined sound is strictly acoustic and mostly pastoral. Some might describe it as being akin to chamber music, but imagine that the chamber is a pogoda set in a rain forest growing on top of a glacier.

This CD is a must for all who love unusual and rare fusions.