Performance

When Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Where National Concert Hall, Dublin, Main Auditorium
Presented by Waltons New School of Music
Supported by Conrad Dublin Hotel

Habib Koité Group

Habib Koité • guitar, lead vocals
Issa Koné • guitar, banjo, backing vocals
Abdoul Wahab Berthé • bass, kamale ngoni
Charly Coulibaly • keyboards, backing vocals
Mama Koné • percussion, backing vocals

We were delighted to welcome the great Malian guitarist, composer and singer Habib Koité back to Dublin in 2015 after his extraordinary World Masters Series concert in 2009 with his group Bamada. For this concert he performed with a new group of virtuoso Malian musicians.

‘The perfect world music artist…. His work has the kind of integrity and balance that promises lasting stardom – something so rare and wonderful that no world music think tank could conjure it up.’
– Rhythm Magazine

‘[L]ush, intricate music with layers of intoxicating, danceable rhythms, passionate vocals and underlying joy.’
– Washington Times

‘Others have followed in his footsteps, yet Koité’s musical universe remains entirely his own. ’
– Songlines

‘His reputation as a guitar player has become almost mythical, combining rock and classical techniques with Malian tunings that make the guitar sound like a kora or ngoni.’
– New York Times

‘First there was Hendrix, then Stevie Ray and now Habib.’
– Bonnie Raitt

Habib Koité

One of Africa’s most beloved and popular musicians, Habib Koité is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, vocalist and composer whose beautiful, lyrical music has propelled him to great heights in contemporary world music. Koité’s impact has been substantial and far-reaching, and he has performed in major concert halls and music festivals around the globe – including the Montreux Jazz Festival, WOMAD and the World Roots Festival. His exotic blend of traditional Malian rhythms and melodies with more modern influences has endeared him to legions of fans. So has his unique pentatonic-tuned, open-string guitar style, modelled after the African kamale ngoni.

Selected YouTube Videos