Seckou Keita
Origin: Sénégal
Seckou Keita from Senegal is one of the world's foremost kora players. Seckou has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity. Performing all over the globe , he captivated audiences.
About us
Nicknamed "the Hendrix of the Kora", Seckou has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as "one of the finest exponents of the kora". Performing all over the globe as a solo artist and with his ground-breaking quintet, he captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more places.
His desire to push the boundaries of his art has led to create critically acclaimed collaborations with Damon Albarn & the Africa Express, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, AKA trio with Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione and Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale, Paul Weller and the folk collective The Lost Words, Spell Songs (2019) joined by the words of Robert McFarlane and artwork of Jackie Morris. His journey into pushing boundaries continues as he is about to present his first concerto for Kora and Orchestra in a collaborative album with BBC Concert Orchestra, Italian Bass player Davide Mantovani and South African cellist Abel Selaocoe.
Through this work, he earned numerous accolades including three Songlines Music Awards, and several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including 2019 Musician of the Year. "I don't know if I'm a folk musician, a jazz or a world one," he said at the time. "Forget about categories. My music is just music for the soul."
Touring bands:
solo
Aka Trio
Homeland
External links:
WebsiteAssociated Projects
Line-up: Seckou Keita: Kora, vocal - Moustaphaye Ngaye: guitar - Mohamed Gueye: percussions - Moussa N'Gom: keyboards - Matar N'Diongue: drums - Modou Gueye: bass - N'Dyeye Korka Dieng: vocal
Seckou Keita is one of the most influential kora players and singers of his generation. The multi-award-winning Senegalese maestro presents his new 100% Senegalese band, HOMELAND in
2024-2025. Seckou Keita tours the world all year round with various ensembles, regularly playing to sold-out crowds in major venues from Dakar to London to San Francisco.
Since 2015, Keita has generated over 25 million streams on Spotify, and his recent concert with SUBA TRio ( Omar Sosa) on Tiny Desk Concert already boasts over 315,000 views on YouTube.
Seckou's new HOMELAND ensemble features seven musicians on stage. With this new opus, Seckou explores themes of belonging, homeland, migration and identity. The final work will be completed by poetic and musical transitions with texts written and told by poets and hip-hop artists from the UK and Senegal.
“The result is music that is resolutely African, vibrant and festive. It's a music that will make even the most timid of audiences dance, while keeping the magic alive, enveloped by the fabulous notes of the Kora.”
Line-up: Seckou Keita (vocal, kora)
He is a virtuoso of the kora, which he loves to set off in daring musical conversations, and which has earned him a solid reputation in the UK, where he lives.
When Seckou Keita arrived in the UK in the late 1990s at the age of 21, he had left his native Senegal only twice before (to play in Norway and India). He spoke little English, was not (yet) famous and had no particular experience. Twenty years later, Seckou was named Folk Musician of the Year by BBC Radio 2.
“For me, it was a kind of incredible recognition, for my involvement in the British music scene, starting with Baka Beyond, all the folk people I worked with years ago... until I reached a new level with Omar Sosa, with my own solo music, with AKA Trio, with Catrin Finch and the Lost Words Project.
A life in music, Seckou was born into a family of griots. But a musical life that has broadened the horizons of the kora, involved collaborations with leading musicians from all walks of life, and won the love and respect of audiences the world over.
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