10 Seconds: Lara Aisha
1. Sona Jobarteh - Saya (2'55" - 3'05")
from Sona Jobarteh - Fasiya (2011)
“I am such an admirer of Sona. Her pushing of boundaries, her activism, and her dedication to West African cultural preservation and bridging it with all of her influences, including classical training, is remarkable. This song is about loss (“Saya” meaning “death” in Mandinka) and it is totally beautiful. I’ve selected these 10 seconds especially because of the energy that Baba Galle Kanté brings with his Fula flute playing."
2. Suzanne Ciani, Jonathan Fitoussi - Sonar (1’40” - 1’50”)
from Suzanne Ciani, Jonathan Fitoussi - Golden Apples of the Sun (2023)
"This track tickles my brain every time. I can feel it in my spine, particularly during this excerpt. As a flautist, I also love the incorporation of wind sounds and it fascinates me how organic sounds can interact with electronically generated ones. The whole album plays with this idea, combining synthesizers with sounds of the Pacific Ocean."
3. Popimane - Transhumance (2'27" - 2'37")
from Popimane - État d’esprit (2023)
“Dramane Dembélé has got to be one of my favourite flautists. It was on YouTube that I discovered this incredible trio with Mathilde Tirard and Alexis Hontondji. The raw energy of his Fula flute playing together with the electronics and drums is like nothing else I’ve heard, and I can’t help but dance to this track. I love the way it builds and, when 2:27 arrives, I am ready to move."
4. Tony Njoku, James Massiah - Catatonia (1'44" - 1'54")
from Tony Njoku, James Massiah - All Our Knives Are Always Sharp (2025)
“The emotion and grit in Tony’s sound is inspiring, and I am so honoured to have performed an improvisation with him. These 10 seconds occur during a ferocious synth break before James Massiah’s rap verse. You can feel the message of resistance and inner strength in the intensity of these sounds."
5. Weedie Braimah, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Elena Pinderhughes - Ships Come In (5'52" - 6'02")
from Weedie Braimah - The Hands of Time (2021)
“The whole seven minutes of this track somehow makes me simultaneously levitate and get down. Weedie Braimah is a legend and this West African modern fusion sound is exquisite. All of the featured artists on this track are phenomenal, but being the flautist I am, you might have guessed that I gave my 10 seconds to Elena Pinderhughes’ solo. It is so special."
6. Deepak Ram - Space Time (1'33" - 1'43")
from Deepak Ram - Flute for Thought (2005)
“Deepak Ram is a flute master in every sense. He is a disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and has serious skill in fusing Hindustani classical training with jazz. Every time I listen to this track, his bansuri entry at 1:33 transports me to another world."
7. Laura Misch - Kairos (2'07" - 2'17")
from Laura Misch - Lithic (2026)
"The title of this track, referring to the Ancient Greek concept of qualitative time, and the repeated lyric “fall back in time,” communicate the song’s central idea very clearly. Even instrumentally, however, the music genuinely feels like time travel. It is so dreamy. It was an honour to witness Laura’s Barbican performance, and this time stamp made me shiver when I heard it live. I am such an admirer of how she brings ecological themes into her work."
8. Hubert Laws - The Rite of Spring (4’27” – 4’37”)
from Hubert Laws - The Rite of Spring (1971)
“This is genius. I listened to this recording extensively while preparing to perform The Rite of Spring when I was studying classical flute at Guildhall. This arrangement is both precise and unpredictable, and that contrast always makes me smile. The piccolo passage featured in these 10 seconds was a section I struggled to play in the Stravinsky score, but hearing it here gave it a whole new lease of life for me. I am so grateful for Hubert Laws’ work in general because he truly inspired me to apply my classical training to jazz spaces."
9. Hailu Mergia, Dahlak Band - Anchin Kfu Ayinkash (2’01” – 2’11”)
from Hailu Mergia, Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo (1978)
“This final selection is one of my most-played tracks. I’ve heard that the Amharic title loosely translates as “may the Lord keep you from harm.” I can’t get enough of the spirit within this beautiful Ethiopian cassette album. This song is pure vibrations. My 10 seconds feature Hailu Mergia’s soulful melody line on electronic organ."
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