“Dajaloo” is a word in the Wolof language, one of countless African languages. It means “being alike, being together.” Jazz saxophonist Pietro Tonolo‘s record, for Parco della Musica Records, is the result of a journey, that to Senegal, and an encounter, that with some formidable Senegalese percussionists. Above all, “Dajaloo” is the fruit of Pietro Tonolo ‘s desire to deepen his growing interest in African culture. African music is a music of great rhythmic complexity. Its polyrhythm calls into question much deeper meanings than anywhere else in the world, as it implies the ability to fit harmoniously into a context and pursue a global outcome rather than individual affirmation.

In illustrating this record work, dedicated to Alex Bottoni, who passed away after making his irreplaceable contribution to this music, Tonolo emphasizes the significance of polyrhythms in African music. “It is no accident that the (poly)rhythmic aspect is so prominent in the music of Africa, a land where the connection between human beings, but also between man and nature, has kept its strength intact. Each event takes on different valences depending on its disposition in time: potentially positive words and actions can become negative if uttered/performed at the wrong time (and vice versa). Life, in other words, is a matter of rhythm, and if life is, let alone music, which rearranges the passage of time so intensely. History has it that a crucial encounter between African and European music and cultures took place on a third continent (America), under sometimes very dramatic circumstances; from that moment on, music has never been the same, and in light of these developments (which, by the way, produced jazz) we thought we would look for a way for an encounter between Africa and Europe.”