Seckou Keita

Nicknamed "the Hendrix of the Kora", Seckou has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as "one of the finest exponents of the kora". Performing all over the globe as a solo artist and with his ground-breaking quintet, he captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more places.

His desire to push the boundaries of his art has led to create critically acclaimed collaborations with Damon Albarn & the Africa Express, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, AKA trio with Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione and Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale, Paul Weller and the folk collective The Lost Words, Spell Songs (2019) joined by the words of Robert McFarlane and artwork of Jackie Morris. His journey into pushing boundaries continues as he is about to present his first concerto for Kora and Orchestra in a collaborative album with BBC Concert Orchestra, Italian Bass player Davide Mantovani and South African cellist Abel Selaocoe.

Through this work, he earned numerous accolades including three Songlines Music Awards, and several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including 2019 Musician of the Year. "I don't know if I'm a folk musician, a jazz or a world one," he said at the time. "Forget about categories. My music is just music for the soul."

Touring bands:

solo
Aka Trio