Habib Koité

Today I was at a gig from Habib Koité. I don’t know what exactly to write her, I’m still swept away! If you don’t know Habib, I encourage you to listen to his new album on amazon (click on Fimani and buy it at a dealer near you). He plays unspectacular, but very beautiful music full of magic and depth. I bought his new Album on the spot! Although this studio work lacks some of this magic, it’s an excellent piece of work he published after a six years break.

Vital Mamahadou Koné on Talking Drum is just amazing, it’s such a pleasure to watch him. He’s got them some women dancing on stage out of the audience while he played solos. Most musically gifted is Kétigul Diabaté, who plays Balafon and Violin. He did the best solos. Souleyman Ann on Drums plays an incredible volume: I didn’t know it’s possible to play Drums so gently.

The mood was pleasing too. The Bamadas aren’t a party band. If you look for a place to wear your ear muffs or to do two hours of power dancing, you’re definitely wrong. But if you’d like to get your soul touched, then go for Habib Koité and the Bamadas!