Habib Koité (SN)

Mali, the West African „Cradle of humanity“, brought us the Blues through the detours of slavery, ignited jazz, foreshadowed flamenco, samba and funk. Hardly any other musician marks this arc as well as Habib Koité, the eternally young 61-year-old guitarist and singer from Bamako, who as a "modern griot" tells the stories of the African continent with his band Bamada. His progressive approach to traditional instruments and rhythms and his enormous charisma on stage have earned him the admiration of colleagues such as Toumani Diabaté, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Eric Bibb or Bonnie Raitt.