Chesaba is an electrifying trio of African celebration - an eclectic blend of ’cello, kora, n’goni, African percussion, double bass and voice, accompanied by the languages of Bambara, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana and more. Embroidered through the music are improvisations influenced by African, jazz and classical music.
Chesaba has a vibrant and virtuosic rhythmic expression coupled with powerful traditional melodies. The music is made of a raw and colourful blend of African cultures, from Griot music – a tradition spanning centuries of civilisation in West Africa, being passed down through the generations, carrying with it an ancient culture of story-telling and musical celebration – to the soulful South African township music that expresses its powerful history.
As award-winning artists, they have played in prestigious venues and festivals including the Amsterdam Muziekgebouw’s Cello Biennale, WOMAD, Bimhuis, The Bridgewater Hall and Kings Place with Manchester Collective. The trio also has a passion for instilling diversity within its community through education and workshops.
Concerto repertoire
Boccherini
Cello Concerto in B-flat major
Tim Garland
Double Concerto for Cello and Saxophone
Haydn
Cello Concerto in C major
Lalo
Cello Concerto in D minor
Saint-Saëns
Cello Concerto in A minor
Schumann
Cello Concerto in A minor
Shostakovich
Cello Concerto No.1 in E Major
Tchaikovsky
Variations on a Rococo Theme
Sonatas
Boccherini
Cello Sonata in A major
Bridge
Sonata in D minor
Britten
Cello Sonata in C major
Debussy
Sonata in D minor
Francouer
Sonata in F major
Grieg
Sonata in A minor
Shostakovich
Cello Sonata in D minor
Other
J.S. Bach
Cello Suite No.1 - No.5
Britten
Cello Suite No.1
Bloch
Prayer (from Jewish Life) No.1
Breinschmid
Skubek's Delight
Bruch
Kol Nidre
Casals
Song of the Birds
Davidoff
At the Fountain
Elgar
Salut d'amour
Fauré
Apres un Reve
Leif Lidström
Lady of Chalotte
Sir James MacMillan
Kiss on Wood
Martinů
Variations on a Theme of Rossini
Popper
Hungarian Rhapsody
Giovanni Sollima
Lamentation
R. Schumann
Adagio and Allegro
Fantasiestücke, Op.12
J.S. Bach
The Art of Fugue
Beethoven
String Quartet No.1, Op.18
Brahms
Sextets in B flat and G major
George Crumb
Black Angels
Dvorák
Piano Quintet No.2 in A major
String Quartets No.10 and No.13
Franck
Piano Quintet in F minor
Haydn
Piano Trio No.2
String Quartets
Leif Lidström
Piano Trio No.1
Matthews
String Quartet No.2
Mendelssohn
Octet in E-flat major, Op.20
Piano Trio No.1 in D minor
Ravel
String Quartet
Rossini
Cello and Bass Duo
Schoenberg
Verklärte Nacht
Schubert
Quintet in C major, Op.163
Shostakovich
Piano Trio No.2
String Quartets Nos 7, 8 & 10
Two Pieces for String Octets, Op.11
Eugene Skeef
String Quartet No.1
Tchaikovsky
Souvenir de Florence, Op.70
Abel Selaocoe Vukani Bo! (African song about the awakening of a village or greeting song)
Debussy Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano
Ravel Improvisation on Habanera
Schedrin Improvisation on Albeniz
Abel Selaocoe Di Kae! for Cello and Piano (South African piece about ancestral gratitude)
INTERVAL
Britten Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major
Sir James MacMillan Kiss on Wood
Giovanni Sollima (arr. Abel Selaocoe) Lamentatio