Matthew Barley and 51 Strings

Four string instruments, four cultures, one intoxicating stream of consciousness.

Matthew Barley set out in search of musicians with whom bowing and plucking would be a true pleasure, and found Hanna Ryynänen on the Finnish kantele, Adriano Adewale on the Brazilian berimbau, and Dawda Jobarteh on the Gambian kora. Together, they bring 51 strings that willingly submit to teasing, plucking and caressing in arrangements of dances and lullabies from the four corners of the world.

The lullabies reveal their darker side, while the grooves provide relief. "Designed improvisations" – templates with structure and just a hint of content – ensure that each performance is a close relative of the one before and the one to come, never quite the same yet unmistakably connected.

Matthew Barley, cello
Hanna Ryynänen, kantele
Dawda Jobarteh, kora
Adriano Adewale, berimbau & percussion

A concert organised by Muziekcentrum De Bijloke,  co-promoted by De Centrale.

photo Nick White