Join us for the “Bala” Watch Party
The Centre for Sound Communities warmly invites you to attend the celebration for the release of Bala, the first balafón-only album by Lassana Diabaté. Bala presents a collection of works for solo balafón. Issued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings as part of the Sound Communities Series, the album was recorded at Cape Breton University and produced by Dr. Marcia Ostashewski. The recording brings together Mande musical traditions with original compositions inspired by Unama’kik (Cape Breton Island).
Lassana Diabaté will be joining us from Mali for the online portion of the event, which will feature musical performances by Lassana along with colleagues and collaborators who contributed to the project. The performances will be followed by a discussion about Lassana’s music and the making of the album. Each watch party location will feature local music performances, refreshments and snacks. All of them are free to attend.
Date: March 27th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM (Atlantic Time / Nova Scotia)
Locations:
Halifax: 2439 Gottingen Street, Halifax.
Chéticamp: Le Canton culturel au 15118
Cabot Trail, Chéticamp
Sydney: Centre for Sound Communities (access via the Sullivan Field House)
Online via Zoom: https://us06web.
The Smithsonian Folkways Sound Communities Series is a partnership between the Centre for Sound Communities and the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The series highlights musical projects by artists and communities whose voices have often been underrepresented, with a particular focus on creators living on the lands commonly referred to as Canada, within the broader Indigenous territories of Turtle Island.
The album is available now and can be purchased here.