Habib Koité and the West African All-Stars

“Habib Koité’s reputation as a guitar player has become almost mythical, combining rock and classical techniques with Malian tunings that make the guitar sound like a kora or ngoni.”- The New York Times
Mandé Sila is the new acoustic project created around Habib Koité. Three standard-bearers of West African musical traditions come together to celebrate Mandé Sila: the way of the Mandingo empire, symbolizing languages, cultures, music, and the entire organology of West Africa. Habib is accompanied by ‘magic balafon’ Aly Keïta (Côte d’Ivoire) and Lamine Cissokho (Senegal) on the Kora.
Malian Habib Koité, one of Africa’s most popular and recognized musicians, is a modern troubadour who captivates audiences with his musicality, wit and wisdom.
Senegalese kora player Lamine Cissokho is the descendant of a famous family of griots whose traditions date back to the 14th century.
Aly Keïta from Côte d’Ivoire is world-renowned for his mastery of the balafon, his impressive virtuosity and his unique sound.
Three virtuoso artists bound together by the same cultural heritage, a melting pot that inspires their compositions and sublimates the revival of the genre. The trio will be joined on stage by Habib’s long-time percussionist , Mama KONE ( Djembe, calabash, electronic pad), who has also performed with Eric Bibb.

The Malian guitarist Habib Koité, one of Africa most renowned musicians, comes from a noble line of Khassonké griots, traditional storytellers and musicians. Born into a large family, he learned to play the guitar by accompanying his mother and inherited his passion for music from his grandfather, a kamele nGoni player.

Initially destined to become an engineer, Habib turned to music, studying at the Institut national des arts (INA) in Bamako. After only six months, he became conductor of the school orchestra, INA Stars.

In 1988, Habib formed his group, Bamada, and attracted international attention in 1991 with the hit “Cigarette A Bana”. He released his first album Muso Ko in 1994, followed by Ma Ya in 1998, which topped the world music charts and sold over 100,000 copies. His albums Baro (2001), Afriki (2007), Brothers in Bamako (2012), Soô (2015), Kharifa (2019) have further enhanced his reputation.

Known for his unique guitar style, Habib combines Malian traditions with influences from blues, jazz and Afro-Cuban music.

Habib has toured extensively, giving more than 2,000 concerts around the world. He has collaborated with renowned artists such as Eric Bibb, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Brown, and has also participated in projects such as Acoustic Africa (with Vusi Malahasela and Oliver Mtukudsi), Desert Blues (with Tartit & Afel Bocoum)

habibkoite.com

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