Sophie Lukacs: Bamako
Shows April 25-May 3
Sophie Lukacs is a Montreal-based artist who is a singer-songwriter and plays the kora, a 21-string harp lute from the Mandingue empire. Born in Budapest, Hungary, and raised in Canada, few women master this legendary instrument that is traditionally reserved for men. The coexistence of several cultures has forged Sophie Lukacs' musical identity, and her style is as much inspired by tradition as by contemporary songwriting. Her enchanting music undeniably leaves a strong impression with its Malian grooves, soothing melodic lines, and poetic lyrics.
On her first album entitled Bamako, all titles were written, arranged, and produced by Sophie Lukacs in Bamako, Mali, with the important support of celebrated musicians Habib Koité and Awa Kassé Mady Diabaté. Her passion for West African music and the kora began in 2008 during a trip to Burkina Faso. She has learned and nurtured her art during eight years of studies spent in Mali with her mentor, the kora virtuoso Toumani Diabaté. Sophie Lukacs' inspiration also comes from a long European training in classical violin, as well as her Hungarian Jewish folk musical roots.
This unconventional artist lets love reveal itself in all its splendor, power, and vulnerability. The fact that Habib Koité joined her on guitar on two songs ("Yafa" and "Before You") after she saw him play in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) thirteen years earlier reinforced her conviction that we are all linked by love and that music is a means of communication par excellence.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
- April 25, Drom Taberna, Toronto
- April 26, The Jazz Bistro, Toronto
- April 30, Shenkman Arts Center, Ottawa
- May 3, Le Ministère, Montreal