Abel Selaocoe arrived early for his Tiny Desk efficiency so he may pop right into a studio to discuss with NPR’s Morning Version. That is the place the versatile South African cellist and vocalist informed the touching story of how he first received the grasp of his instrument. Unable to afford an actual cello, Selaocoe drew the strings of the instrument on paper, then pasted it to his chest to observe the fingerings.
Lately, he excursions the world providing his singular synthesis of worldwide, jazz and classical sounds, at all times remembering his roots, even when collaborating with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma.
Selaocoe’s adroit bowing and percussive fingering provides the cello an unlimited coloration palette, with sounds of flutes and drums. His vocalizing, principally within the Sesotho language, features a form of gravelly throat singing by which two or extra pitches are produced, heard within the opening tune which he dedicates to moms and robust girls who “[hold] the knife on the sharp aspect.”
French baroque meets modern South Africa in “Les Voix Humaines/Tsohle Tsohle,” the place Selaocoe braids music by Marin Marais round tender singing. And he closes with an improvisation, noting that he prefers “individuals who do not write the script and re-read it once more.” The tune begins in a flurry of bowed arpeggios, like white caps on the lake, and evolves into plucked strings with steel clips hooked up, paying homage to thumb pianos.
Selaocoe has certainly written his personal distinctive “script.” In classical music, there are those that observe age outdated traditions — and that is simply positive. However then there are these, like Selaocoe, who create model new traditions.
SET LIST
- “Ka Bohaleng”
- Marin Marais/Selaocoe: “Les Voix Humaines/Tsohle Tsohle”
- “Dinaka”
MUSICIANS
- Abel Selaocoe: cello, vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Tom Huizenga
- Director: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
- Host/Collection Producer: Bobby Carter
- Video Editor: Kara Body
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
- Audio Engineer: Josh Newell
- Manufacturing Assistant: Dora Levite
- Photographer: Michael Zamora
- Tiny Desk Crew: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer
- Govt Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Collection Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins