With his band Bamada, the Malian musician performed number of his new and old songs on Al Dhafra Theater at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi as part of the year-long program, World Stage, organized by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) which features the best of contemporary world music and dance.
In the beginning of the concert Koite said that the whole group was excited to visit Abu Dhabi for the first time “We were waiting to visit this part of the world for a long time…and here we are here.”
The internationally acclaimed guitar player will entertain audiences for one night only on January 21st at the Cultural Foundation in the capital. Koite is indeed a recognized African musician, composer and guitarist. He has released more than 250,000 albums sold around the globe; he appeared on the popular television show Late Night with David Letterman. With nearly a thousand concerts on some of the world’s most prestigious stages under his belt, he was appropriately labelled “Mali’s biggest pop star” by Rolling Stone (in an infamous article in which Bonnie Raitt compared Habib to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn). This is not all that he has achieved, there is more! Habib has also received raves from widely-read publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair and the New York Times. He is the fore-runner in album sales in Africa for he has sold more than 100,000 copies of his last two studio albums, putting him in the upper echelons of world music artist sales.
After a six-year absence from the recording studio, Habib Koité and his band Bamada have returned with a stunning new album, Afriki, which features an appealing, set of songs that reflect Habib’s unique and innovative approach to the diverse styles of Malian music.
Habib draws on styles from the different regions of Mali, rather than solely on the music of his particular area as most Malian musicians do. He is widely acclaimed for integrating the rock and folk sounds of the Western world, without watering down his cherished Malian roots.
WHERE: The Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
WHEN: 8.30pm Thursday 21st January
HOW: Entrance is Free!!! Be there early to ensure a seat.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS REVIEWS FOR HABIB KOITE
“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
“The biggest pop star of the West African nation of Mali.” Rolling Stone Magazine
“In his case, the unfamiliarity of the language was no problem, largely because of his communicative manner – kneeling down at the stage edge to interact with the crowd – dancing in unison with his musicians – made such a clear – nonverbal connection with his listeners . ” The Los Angeles Times
“Koite’s voracious musical curiosity, broad international fan base, impressive CD sales, and fruitful collaboration with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Eric Bibb and Gary Davis, have made him a prominent global voice. “ fRoots
