Habib Koité and Bamada on Oct 30, 2024 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

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

“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.” 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. With his band Bamada, the singer/songwriter fuses African polyrhythms with the propulsive beats of rock, blues, pop and Latin jazz.