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LP
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MMACONDO 005LP
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Davorio is a powerful and heartfelt album born from a musical collaboration between Italian pianist and composer Samuele Strufaldi and the villagers of Gohouo-Zagna in the Ivory Coast's Guemon region. Released on Música Macondo Records, the project blends Guéré traditional music, jazz, western classical and electronica, creating a modern musical language that tells the stories, traditions, and spirit of the village across 16 tracks. This unique project uses music as a bridge between cultures, while supporting the construction of a community space library and music studio for the children of Gohouo-Zagna. The project's journey began in August 2019, when Strufaldi was invited by local djembe player Boris Pierrou to visit Gohouo-Zagna. Immersing himself in the life of the village, Strufaldi was inspired by Pierrou's vision of creating a library space to foster learning, cultural preservation, and music-making for future generations. From this initial encounter, Davorio took shape as a collaborative cultural exchange that transcends borders, time, and genre. During his time in Gohouo-Zagna, Strufaldi, alongside Francesco Gherardi and Boris Pierrou, worked closely with Guéré musicians. The album captures the pulse of the village itself -- from recordings of children's clapping games and percussion sessions to traditional songs and ambient village sounds. Interspersed between the tracks are 40-second "audio photographs" offering glimpses of daily life, each carefully annotated in the liner notes to preserve the meaning and story behind the music. The Guéré people, part of the wider Kru ethnic group, have safeguarded their folk music and percussive traditions for centuries. On Davorio, their legacy intertwines with Strufaldi's lush electronic production, intricate jazz structures, and expressive saxophone melodies. Rhodes keys ripple against the driving beat of djembe drums, while elements of drum & bass and ambient jungle rhythms elevate the album into a truly global, yet rooted, sonic experience. "I feel that the creative process into a collective and unconscious territory belongs to everybody, where we can meet each other and find and share new treasures," Strufaldi reflects -- a sentiment that resonates deeply throughout the record. Davorio stands as a testament to the power of music to connect communities, honor traditions, and build a better future.
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