In an unforgettable African rhythms concert, one of Africa’s most loved musicians Habib Koité rocked the Abu Dhabi capital on Thursday night. With his band Bamada, the Malian musician performed some of his new and old songs at Al Dhafra Theater at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi as part of the year-long program, World Stage, organized by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) which features the best of contemporary world music and dance.
At the beginning of the concert, Koite said that the whole group was excited to visit Abu Dhabi for the first time “we were waiting to visit this part of the world for a long time…and here we are here.”
Koite is one of the most popular and recognized African musicians. He has sold more than 250,000 albums around the globe; he has appeared on the popular Americain television show Late Night with David Letterman. He recorded a duet with Bonnie Raitt on her 2002 album Silver Lining and has performed nearly a thousand concerts on some of the world’s most prestigious stages under his belt.
For about two hours Koite performed on his guitar and sang with his band that played on Malian instruments, in a unique style that he draws from different regions of Mali, integrating the rock and folk sounds of the Western world, without watering down his cherished Malian roots.
Buy his CDs:
- In North America: Afriki. Other recordings available: Ma Ya, Muso Ko, Foly! Live Around the World, Baro
- In Europe: Afriki
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
