“Lumba is not only music from the heart, but also music for fellow human beings, in many senses.”

“There would be a lot more to say about this record… The booklet […] informs us about the instruments used on each track and it also offers interesting little explanatory texts about the context of writing and the subject of the song. The ideal complement to explore, while listening to this music so captivating, pure, which is satisfied with an acoustic essential to which we are not too accustomed anymore. An outright success.”

“It is a rather positive message from a very positive and rather beautiful album.”

“Lumba is an album with a clear message, carried by beautiful West African music with lyrics written from the griot tradition in which both Mola Sylla and Bao Sissoko were raised!”

“A haunting and majestic blues record, both choral and intimate, solar and introspective.”

“With Lumba, Tamala has once again produced a rock-solid album that is convincing both musically and in terms of content!”

“A trio that respectfully brings together elements from various traditions to make music for our times.”

*** LIVE DIFFUSION @La Petite Fabriek

“Musically speaking, this fine CD is a bit like peeling an onion…with each new layer, you find something different to engage with.”

“Frottées, pincées ou vocales, leurs cordes se complètent à merveille”

“Just now and then, a record comes along in which everything about it seems to perfectly embody the broader intentions underlying the work. Lumba is a case in point.”

“These songs are characterized by catchy melodies and well rhythmic, but it is worth reading (in the beautiful trilingual French-English-Dutch booklet) also the message conveyed by the verses in Wolof and Soussou.”

“West African culture demands attention, as does the mixture of Belgian and Senegalese influences.”

“If the respect for the human and the nature is central in this project, it was necessary to express it with talent: Hallelujah, it is perfectly successful!”

“[Tamala played] in front of a theater completely carried away by the narrative intensity of the three musicians. The trio favors its own original compositions and moments that enhance the wide expressive range of Mola Sylla’s voice and the instrumental interweaving between kora and violin”

Premiere of Tamala’s concert recorded at Festival d’Art de Huy 2018

“Womad in microcosm might look like the wonderful three-piece Tamala – two Senegalese and a Belgian – whose set was a  personal highlight, combining kora with violin and vocals to exquisite effect”

“It’s like when you’re in a room with too many people and you open the window”

“This album, which swells with temperate acoustic energy, seals an interwovenness between South and North, gives out a lot of musical warmth.”

“This album, which encloses an interweaving of South and North with subdued acoustic power, radiates an unprecedented purging musical warmth”

***** “Such high spots are enough to merit much repeated listening”

PLAYLIST ALBUM CHOICE

 “Quietly graceful acoustic music of a chamber-like intensity”

“One of my absolute loves right now and it’s going to take quite something to knock it off the pole position”

“Une profonde poésie se dégage quasi mélancoliquement de ces compositions partagées par les trois musiciens qui, manifestement, se sont écoutés avant de se prétendre capables de jouer en trio. Un disque d’une fraîcheur suave dont n’est pourtant jamais absente une gravité qui vaut mille de nos colères.”

***** “An audible bond and mutual respect marinated into every little nuance and note. Each time I have given this disc a spin, I break out into a spontaneous smile. It’s infectious and the only cure might be to listen some more ! […] These organic instruments, the stripped down and simplistic nature of this recording, the trio’s natural exuberance and that ethereal/passionate voice blends together to create a gorgeous ambience.”

“Music that comes straight from the heart”

“In fact the violin blends in perfectly, alternately plucked and bowed (as on “Xafamaya”) adding counterpoint and grace notes and making the ensemble sound that much bigger.”

TOP 10 NEW RELEASES OF 2017

“A jewel of an album. Sublime”

“Calm and peaceful, Sissoko rolls out the majestic grooves, while Vandenabeele mostly restricts himself to subtle melodic interventions. This gives Sylla plenty of space to enchant with his voice.”

***** “(trad) The virtuoso trio has much to offer on the album for all sorts of traditions, but emphatically searches for its own language. The combination between violin, kora and various exotic instruments takes the listener to this stunningly beautiful album, though it is primarily the underlying message of respect for human and nature that is central to this. “

“True gem of an album !”

“Pearl!”

“Cela vaut la peine de prendre le temps pour écouter l’album attentivement, car si on réussi à en ressentir la saveur, cette musique vous donnera vraiment beaucoup”

“Three virtuoso musicians and craftsmen pur sang guarantee on ‘Tamala’ more than one hour of delightful listening pleasure.”

“Summed up: impressive musical craftsmanship, coupled with open spirits and respect for Man and Nature … a conclusion, indicating that our world is not completely lost yet.”