Habib Koité, Aly Keïta, Lamine Cissokho on Oct 30, 2024 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

“First there was Hendrix, then Stevie Ray, and now Habib.” – Bonnie Raitt

“[Koite's] 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.” The New York Times

Named the biggest pop star of the West African nation of Mali by Rolling Stone, Habib Koité’s sophisticated acoustic guitar technique brings the pentatonic tuning of the griot’s traditional kora to the slashing solos of classic rock. Koité’s soulful voice and magnetic personality have made him an international star of contemporary world music and inspired collaborations with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Eric Bibb. In this all-star ensemble, two other standard bearers of West African musical traditions join Koité – kora player Lamine Cissokho and balafon master Aly Keïta.