User:Kadialy kouyate

Kadialy Kouyate comes from a very large African musical family of dialis, which means “griot”, who are well known in Mandinka history. A griot is a storyteller in West Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family.

Kouyate belongs to the great line of Kouyate griots, descendents of Balla Fasseke Kouyate, the first Mandinka diali, who became the official griot in the service of the emperor Sundiata Keita. Being brought up in such a family of griots, he played the kora instinctively from an early age

In 2005 Kouyate made his UK debut as a performer and kora teacher. His first album featured a collaboration with veteran steel pan player Fimber Bravo from Trinidad. The album, Small Talk, fused two traditions from Africa and the Caribbean, combining kora and steel pan in an innovative and contemporary style. “Fimber Bravo and young Senegalese kora player Kadialy Kouyate found a common thread and proceeded to weave it into a tapestry of multi-hued beauty” (Songlines July / August 2005). Together, Kouyate and Bravo toured around the UK, performed on BBC Radio 3 programmes such as Lucy Duran’s World Roots, and Andy Kershaw’s Sunday night programme.

Later that year, Kouyate performed with New York jazz group MALIcool at the Tramway in Glasgow accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The two-hour concert was broadcast the following week on Radio 3. Kouyate’s tour with MALIcool included the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in 2006.

His association with the Afro-Caribbean Music Circuit (ACMC) gave Kouyate the opportunity to tour with up and coming African musicians such as Nuru Kane and Daby Balde.

Kouyate’s musical journey soon led him into collaboration with Kike Pedersen, a harpist from Paraguay. The duo has performed widely within the UK and their music has been featured on radio shows such as Charlie Gillett’s BBC London and BBC World Service programmes. In November 2008 Kouyate has represented the kora, for the first time,at the  "2do Festival Mundial Del Arpa" in Paraguay the country nominated recently as the "Capital Mundial Del Arpa"

As an outstanding solo performer, Kouyate’s mesmerizing kora playing and singing style have been welcomed in many prestigious places such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Westminster Hall, the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, the British Museum, the O2 Arena,The Union Chapel, WOMAD, etc.

Kouyate’s fame as a kora teacher spread upon his arrival in the UK. Since 2005 he has been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at the School of Oriental and African Studies ( University of London ) to play the kora. His work at SOAS has become an integral part of the African Studies programme, as he offers workshops and group classes for the summer school scheme in addition to individual lessons.

Very recently, Kouyate’s musical encounter with Adriano Adewale’s Group has seen the light in the recording of an album which illuminates the musical dialogue between four great musicians. “SEMENTES” Album by Adriano Adewale Group.

After many collaborations with musicians around the world, Kadialy Kouyate has finally put together his own band called SOUND ARCHIVE. Working alongside Fred Thomas on double bass,Lucy Railton on cello and Ben Bryant on percussion;Kouyate has selected these london classical and jazz musicians to play his originalal compositions based on the  traditional  griot repertoire from Senegal. kadialy kouyate's Sound Archive on MySpace Music [[Media: ]]