In Moving Away, the two koras, played by Wali Cham Jobarteh and Tunde Jegede, have a special relationship to each other. They share some of the same music, playing the same melodies, rhythms, patterns and motifs, but they’re never playing exactly the same thing in the same way.
All the time, Tunde and Wali are listening to what each other is playing, as well as all the other instruments and voices, and responding – it’s a bit like they’re having a conversation. In this clip you can hear the two koras playing the whole piece, with the other parts in the background. (If you’re listening in stereo, Wali’s on the left and Tunde’s on the right).
At the beginning of the song Wali isn’t playing. It’s Tunde’s solo. So this conversation starts off with just Tunde speaking. At the point where Wali does start playing, Tunde’s playing is less strong – a bit like he’s taken a back seat.
In this clip, at the second chorus in the song, with the backing vocals singing, Wali begins to decorate his music more, improvising with fast scales and runs of notes. As the song moves on, Wali’s lifting the feel a little. Tunde’s playing is more consistent, without the decoration, although it’s stronger than before.
