choir COLLABORATIONS
Background story
The idea of merging these two magical art forms began thanks to an inspiring collaboration with Mollie Stone and the Chicago Children's Choir (pictured here). That first meeting was so inspiring that it sparked a desire in us to continue blending kora and choir music. From that moment, new music began to take shape.
We now live in Lund, a city renowned for its rich choir traditions. It’s also where Sousou went to school and sang in Lund Chamber Choir and Korallerna Women's Choir, before immersing herself in the kora traditions.
“For me, it’s like closing the circle and reconnecting my roots,” Sousou reflects. In her final year before graduation, she met Sofia Söderberg, who was then conducting the school choir that later became Lars-Erik Larsson-gymnasiet. "I remember being so impressed and inspired by her back then, so it’s truly an honor to now collaborate with her to compose music together." Maher, as a griot, is part of a long tradition dedicated to bringing people together, exploring new creative pathways, and spreading meaningful messages through music. One beautiful way to do this is by inviting young voices to participate in this tradition, taking it into new spaces and contexts.
With support from Konstnärsnämnden, we’ve composed several pieces for kora and choir, one of them - “Drömmen om ett liv bortom havet”, is inspired by an article in Sydsvenskan by Katia Wagner, reflecting the role of the griot as the bearer of news from village to village in times past.
The newly composed music tells stories of love, hope, disappointment, shattered dreams, and the journey to find peace amidst it all.
We are open to new collaborations - if you’re a choir interested in working with us, let’s connect and create something beautiful together!