Mande Sila - Mande Sila Live

Mande Sila is the new acoustic project created around Habib Koite. Habib is accompanied by 'magic balafon' Aly Keita (Cote d'Ivoire) and Lamine Cissokho (Senegal) on the Kora. These three standard-bearers of West African musical traditions come together to celebrate the Mande Sila: the way of the Manding empire, symbolising languages, cultures, and all the musical diversity and richness of West Africa. The trio is joined on stage by Habib's long-time percussionist, Mama Kone (Mali). Habib Koite, one of West Africa's most popular and recognised musicians, is a modern troubadour who captivates audiences with his musicality, wit and wisdom. His 30-year career (over 2,000 concerts around the world) bears witness to this. The kora player Lamine Cissokho is the descendant of a famous family of griots who, thanks to his many encounters, defines his music as a melting pot of African, Oriental and jazz influences (he regularly plays with blues mans Eric Bibb and other collaborators). Aly Keita is world-renowned for his mastery of the balafon, his impressive virtuosity and his unique sound in both traditional music and jazz (collaborations with Joe Zawinul, Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu, etc.). Three virtuoso artists bound together by the same cultural heritage, a melting pot that inspires their compositions and sublimates the revival of the genre.