We celebrate one of West Africa’s most enduring musical legacies in the story telling and playing of the 21-string instrument, the kora and the melodic percussive keys of the balafon. Three of West Africa’s most celebrated players join us for an unforgettable night of ancient music tradition passed down through generations of griot families.

Mamadou Diabate is the award winning balafon master and composer born in Burkina Faso. He is coming from a traditional “Jeli” family of music making and story telling of the Sambla peoples.

He was 5 years old when his professional education began. His virtuosity is outstanding – some people say, he would have more than two hands. Explicit techniques allow Mamadou to play balafon solos, which create the impression, that three bala-fonists play together.

Diabel Cissokho’s musical pedigree is exceptional. He became Baaba Maal’s kora player and he has toured internationally with his family’s band Bannaya, as well as with acclaimed musicians such as Cheikh Lo, Ernest Ranglin and Youssou N’Dour. Diabel has been welcomed everywhere from WOMAD to Glastonbury to London’s Barbican, where he performed alongside Femi Kuti.

Sourakata Koite is a Paris-based kora-player from Senegal. His 1984 debut album En Hollande was recently reissued by Awesome Tapes From Africa to widespread acclaim

Podcast: Out Of Africa (September 2021)

In this show, we travel from Africa’s kora, desert blues from the Sahara desert, the beautiful strings from Cape Verde Islands, through jazz from gipsy influence and finish with a dub in a world music perspective. Music is the glue that connects humanity as ONE! (Aired on August 11 on…

Artists: Ballake Sissoko , Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra , Bombino , Cordas do sol , Juan Bau , Ludovico Einaudi , Mamadou Diabate , Mbongwana Star , Oum , Stereo Utopia , The Spy From the Cairo , Toumani Diabaté

London Gig Guide (December 2019)

At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…

Artists: ∵n∀v∩∴ , Afriqoui , Arteria Fm , Diabel Cissokho , Dub Pistols , Freek , Kasai Masai , Kongo Dia Ntotila , Mamadou Diabate , Mozão , Mulatu Astatke , Natty Campbell , Neue Grafik Ensemble , Parov Stelar , Skylla , Sourakata Koite , Yama Warashi , Young Paris

Album Review: Diabel Cissokho -Tambacounda Express [Kafou Music, 1st July 2016]

It’s not often I can say that reviewing an album made my day, but in the case of Senégalese multi-instrumentalist Diabel Cissokho’s latest release, Tambacounda Express, it certainly did! The album, which, as Diabel affirmed during a chat we had at Womad UK this Summer, takes its name from the…

Artists: Diabel Cissokho