Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba

Bassekou Kouyate is an innovative master of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa. He has collaborated with musicians inside and outside of Mali, including Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate. A key musician on Ali Farka Touré's 2006 release, Savane, he toured with Touré before his passing. Recently, he was featured on Bela Fleck’s Africa Project tour. Kouyate has recorded two CDs including, Segu Blue and his 2009, I Speak Fula. Born in the remote village of Garana, he was raised by his mother, a praise singer, and his father and brothers who are also exceptional ngoni players. He married singer Ami Sacko (the ‘Tina Turner of Mali’) with whom he plays traditional Sunday wedding parties in the streets of Bamako. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba (which means ‘the big or low ngoni’) is Mali’s first ngoni ensemble featuring the bass ngoni, which Bassekou invented. By adding extra strings, lowering the pitch, and making the instrument harmonically flexible, Bassekou helped to reinvigorate and transform the traditional music of the ngoni and bring it into the modern world. Ngoni ba plays music from the region of Segu, the heart of Bambara culture— pentatonic music which is considered as close to the blues as you can get in Africa.

$25/$20 Members & Students.
Available in advance, by phone or in person, at the Outpost Performance Space (268-0044)