Aly Keïta – Balafon Evolution (One World Records, 2026)
Ivorian balafon player Aly Keïta presents Balafon Evolution with his Berlin-based trio. The set connects West African traditions with contemporary improvised music and jazz.
The album places the balafon at the center of the ensemble, highlighting expanded harmonic possibilities and chromatic tuning that allow the instrument to function as a masterful, virtuosic lead voice. Keïta’s trio shifts between dance-oriented African rhythms, intricate counterpoint and jazz-based improvisation, aiming for a sound that connects club-oriented grooves with concert-hall esthetics.
The Aly Keïta Trio reflects the diversity of the Berlin jazz scene. Keïta and Dutch drummer Marcel van Cleef have worked together since 2008, establishing the group’s rhythmic core. They previously performed in the project “Aly Keïta and Magic Balafon,” which shared a prize at the Creole world music contest in 2009. Italian bassist Roberto Badoglio joined in 2014, bringing a fusion-oriented approach that completes the trio’s current lineup.
Keïta grew up in Abidjan in a Manding griot family and learned balafon from his father before continuing his studies in his grandmother’s village in Mali, where he also built instruments. His reputation as a virtuoso spread internationally when he was 18, leading to tours and collaborations with jazz and world music artists.
In line with the legacy of maestro Kélétigui Diabaté, Keïta is widely noted as the first to make the balafon chromatic and to consistently present it as a solo instrument rather than only an accompanying percussion voice. His acoustic, technical and visual approaches have become reference points for a younger generation of balafon players, a development that Balafon Evolution documents in studio form.
Musicians: Aly Keïta on balafons, kalimba, vocals; Marcel van Cleef on drums, percussions; Roberto Badoglio on e-bass. Special guest: Mariam Koné on vocals.
Produced by Aly Keïta, Carolina Vallejo & Olha Kovalevska.
Recorded at Greve Studio and Nagelstudio Berlin, Germany. Recording engineers Volker Greve, Johann Niegl. Pre-mixed by Marcel van Cleef. Mixed by Daniel Boivin. Mastered by Tom Leader.
Artwork and photos Olha Kovalevska, Urban Lys.
Track list:
- Adjame Street 06:28
- Marie Dance 05:32
- Yélé Kura 06:18
- Mandingo Galaxy 06:49
- Mogo-Sobé (*) 02:52
- Farafinko 07:22
- Balafon Evolution 04:50,
- Dreams of Mikaël 02:33
- Peace in the World 04:41.
Author: Tyler Bennet
