Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet.
However you want to label the sound of Kronos Quartet, it's led them to some surprising and extraordinary collaborators.
Their new collaboration is with Trio Da Kali, three traditional griot musicians from Mali. Together they've released one of my favorites this year. It's called "Ladilikan."
oembed://https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DhxDsn-8eymk
David Harrington is the founder of Kronos Quartet — a group that's been making adventurous music for more than 40 years. Harrington says he's always been curious about new sounds.
"It started when I was a kid and I heard Bartok's music for the first time. And at my high school there was some amazing recordings of African music, drumming music from Ghana … and I guess you could say I've been trying to enlarge my own definition of what music is ever since then."
Related: How Bonnie Raitt's pursuit of the blues led her to world music
Is there a way to define the music of Kronos Quartet? It is classical fusion? Or maybe world classical? How about the term "world music?"
This year, The World has been marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the term "world music."
But even that phrase doesn't quite work for David Harrington. "I have to that say I am getting more confused by not only that term, but every musical term, to try to define genres or sorts of music."
Maybe there's no reason to define. Just listen and feel it.
oembed://https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DTVRcZUfLpy4
Listen to more of The World's interview with David Harrington above.
Related: Drummer Mickey Hart recalls 30 years of 'world music'
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?