Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba

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A Mwldan | Jazzhaus Co-Production

Mali’s Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa, and is respected as one of Africa’s premier global artists.

His band, Ngoni Ba, includes ngoni players (featuring ngonis with differing tonal sizes), percussionists (talking drum, Yabara, Calebasse) and the fantastic singer Amy Sacko. Together they have revolutionised the sound of the ngoni, and radically fired centuries of griot tradition into the future. Bassekou has collaborated with the likes of Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate, Taj Mahal, and The Kronos Quartet, and joined the Africa Express tour in 2016 along with Damon Albarn and Paul Weller. Bassekou's latest album “Miri” ('dream' in Bamana) topped the World Music Charts Europe in February 2019 and was voted “Best Album of the Year” by Songlines magazine.

Incredible dexterity and stunning music from one of Africa’s music visionaries.

June 2023

11Westin Studio Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff, part of Datliad Cymru-Affrica Festival

10Union Chapel, London

09The Apex, Bury St Edmunds

08St George's Bristol

07Canolfan y Celfyddydau Taliesin Arts Centre, Abertawe / Swansea

06Lakeside, Nottingham

05Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

04Band On The Wall, Manchester

03Liverpool Philharmonic Music Rooms

02Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda

01Howard Assembly Room, Leeds

May 2023

31The Stables, Milton Keynes

30Canolfan y Celfyddydau Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Testimonials

THE GUARDIAN

'Defiant, angry new music from Mali, by the world’s greatest exponent of the ngoni, the ancient West African lute'

Time Out magazine

'Ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate can make notes bend like light rays in the desert heat'