Aly Keïta

On January 19th will be happy to meet you in Paris at the festival Sons d'hiver with the special project TERIYA QUARTET feat. Hamid Drake, Hervé Samb & Brad Jones.

"Some sounds give you the blues, others make you happy. Hamid Drake and Aly Keïta have heard and created some of these sounds in their lives, in the company of some of the biggest names in free jazz and world music. In Bambara, friendship is called Teriya. It's also the name the balafonist and drummer have given to the group they've brought together this evening. Friendship dances at the heart of the quartet they have imagined together. It's also a return to the very roots of music: encounters, dialogue and unison. Sons d'hiver loves these returns to basics. Faithful friends of the festival, Drake and Keïta have been bathing it in thought and wisdom for a long time. Free sounds, too. Sounds that comfort, sounds that bring people together."

Cast
Hamid Drake - drums, percussion
Aly Keïta - balafon
Hervé Samb - guitar, vocals
Brad Jones - double bass

Photo credits © M. Rodrigues

theatrekremlinbicetre

In my home village Konsankuy in Mali, people believe that today, the 30th of December, is the last day of the year. They say that December the 31st comes with a key to open the door to the next year, and is more of a transition to it, but not really a day to work or start anything new. It brings all that is in the future for us - good or bad.
Today I have been thinking about the passing of 2023. For me personally, it was full of positive changes for which I am grateful. There was a lot of joy and music, new friendships and experiences, and I will cherish every moment I spent with my audience and such a great performers on the stage. But this year also showed me how fragile our lives and everything we build are in the face of global wars, natural disasters and human ignorance...
May the New Year be less challenging and tragic, as we all need peace and love around us to be prosperous and productive. I wish you pure creative energy and good health. I hope our paths will cross again in 2024 and I will be able to share my new music with you.

Sincerely yours, Aly Keїta

Portrait by Olga Kovalevska
Winter in Mali by Youssouf Keita

Yesterday was all about the kids. At African show in the evening I played a short solo and gave some balafon workshop for children (on the video and pictures).
And in the morning at the Global Music School, where I teach, we had a very touching lesson - the last one in 2023. I was so happy to see how children have fun creating a rhythm and singing along with it. They didn't even want to leave for the holidays. This inspired me very much!

Quick change from the hot Sahara desert to the snowy tops of Alps.
Just yesterday evening have I arrived from Africa to Berlin and already travel to Innsbruck, Austria. Today together with Hans Lüdemann and Christian Thome in Trio Ivoire we play for the special project with the singer Dobet Gnahoré at the treibHaus. Looking forward to see you guys there!

Merci, Ambassade d'Allemagne au Mali!
🇩🇪🤝🇲🇱

With the one and only Maestro Salif Keita at the Bamako JAZZ Festival backstage

Behind the scenes of Bamako JAZZ Festival: Gary Dourdan (guitar), (bass), Aly Keïta (balafon) & Valérie Fanta Koné - director of the Bamako Jazz Festival.

✈️ Bamako JAZZ Festival 🇲🇱
Aly Keïta🇩🇪 & JAIXI: Arnaud Koffi (piano), Israel Boka - MUSIC (drums), Armel Kouadio (bass guitar)🇨🇮

Right now in Mali

Few pictures from a presentation concert of a brand new project "METAMADERA" with Lucas Dorado (vibrafone) and Minino Garay Minino Garay Oficial (percussion, voice) which took place at the beautiful venue Le Son de la Terre in Paris on November, 6th.
The release of our first CD is coming soon. Looking forward to sharing it with you!

Thank you for the pictures to Urban Lys Photos.

Bamako JAZZ Festival, merci! Je me réjouis de jouer bientôt au Mali!

Bamako Jazz Festival, thank you! Looking forward to playing in Mali so soon!

🙏

[Bamako Jazz Festival]

C'est au tour d'Aly Keïta , l'un de nos artistes qui participe pour la deuxième fois au festival. Une fois de plus, il saura vous éblouir avec son balafon.
Grand joueur de balafon, originaire de la Côte d'Ivoire, il a une maîtrise exceptionnelle de l'instrument. Il tisse une chanson à partir d'une phrase simple pour finir en polyphonie complexe.
Accompagné de ses musiciens venant de l'écurie de Contre-jour, il sera apprécié par les amateurs du Cross - over et de l'Afro jazz. Dans son jeu solo, il rempli le podium comme si un second balafonniste joue derrière le rideau. Ses concerts sont des évènements inoubliables.
N’oubliez pas de payer vos tickets

Ce soir avec Lucas Niggli, Jan Galega Brönnimann et le cymbaliste Miklos Lukacs, en tant qu'invité special guest.

Playing today with Lucas Niggli and Jan Galega Brönnimann a release concert of our latest CD "Kalan Teban" at the Opus Jazz Club in Budapest!
Our small tour continues with the same program at the Mandau Jazz / Mandava Jazz festival in Zittau on the November 18th.

And finally we meet in Berlin at Jazz Club A-Trane on the November 19th.
Link to the event page is in the first comment.

Looking forward to meeting you there!

A toute ma famille, mes amis et mes fans à Bamako, je jouerai au Bamako Jazz Festival la semaine prochaine !!
23/11/2023 - Institut Français
24/11/2023 - Jardin du Musée National
25/11/2023 - Hôtel Laïco l'Amitié
À très bientôt!!

🎶 Der König des Balafons Mit: Aly Keïta Das Balafon, musikalischer Vorläufer des Xylophons, ist ursprünglich das Instrument des Griot, des Geschichtenerzählers, Sängers und Dichters der mündlichen Tradition Westafrikas. Als Musiker beruft sich Aly Keïta auf diese Tradition, setzt dieses tausendjährige Instrument jedoch in einen modernen Kontext. Keïtas Afro-Pop-Repertoire, das er heute auf der translationale berlin präsentiert, wird vom Funk-Rhythmus angetrieben, wobei ihn seine Vorliebe für komplexe Jazz-Arrangements von der Mehrheit der Balafonist:innen unterscheidet. „Ich möchte“, kündigt der 2022 mit dem Deutschen Jazzpreis in der Kategorie Besondere Instrumente ausgezeichnete Künstler, „dass meine Musik lebendig und voller Energie, Hoffnung und Liebe ist, Musik, die ich mit dem Publikum teilen kann und durch die das Publikum und ich unsere Freude teilen können.“ @alykeitabalafon #balafon #westafrica #afrojazz #afropopmusic #deutscherjazzpreis @deutscherjazzpreis