The mutual admiration society that is Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze owes itself to a serendipitous meeting that took place in 2001 at the African-European Jazz Orchestra rehearsals in Saint-Louis, Senegal, where they'd been invited to open for Senegalese legend Youssou N'Dour. Despite any cultural barriers that separated them, the Senegalese singer/kora player and German-born trumpeter discovered they had much in common, both musically and personally. Their commonalities can be heard on Sira, which is an album that reaffirms the maxim that music is the universal language. The album released in October 2008 to great critical acclaim, hitting #2 on the CMJ World Music Charts. This is their USA debut and first world tour together.

Their willingness to absorb new ideas attracted the two artists to each other. Although Cissoko is well-versed in the traditional music of West Africa, passed along from generation to generation, he has always been a seeker, keeping his ears open for new experiences. His immersion in jazz, and Goetze's fascination with African music, made them natural candidates for collaboration.

"He comes from the griot tradition. My grandfathers were highly respected spiritual leaders," says Goetze. "I learn from him and he learns from me. Our music is very much created in the moment, but we understand each other on a much deeper level." "It is our differences that become real strength," adds Cissoko. "I adapt myself to the context. I have in myself this ancient tradition of communication. It's like the branches of a baobob tree, which can touch those of another tree. I'm one of these branches. Volker and I are two musicians of the same generation with different sensibilities, who become one indivisible entity by speaking with our instruments."