Seckou Keita
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Seckou Keita was born in Ziguinchor, Senegal on 14 February 1978 in a griot family (hereditary musicians). With his quartet formation, Seckou has made a significant contribution to Kora music with the highly original tunings.
“There are four basic traditional tunings”, he explains, “which are linked to the different regions in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali where the kora is played. Each region has its own distinct tuning. My own approach has been to put all these tunings together in the same instrument, so while still rooted in tradition, the sound is quite different to what people are used to hearing, and the range of material I can perform is greatly extended”.
It was under the guidance of his uncle Solo Cissokho that Keita launched his international career in 1996, with appearances at Norway’s Forde Festival in a successful collaboration with Cuban, Indian and Scandinavian musicians. In the years that followed, Keita relocated to the United Kingdom, while touring regularly in Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and Czech Republic as well as playing at such prestigious festivals as WOMAD and Glastonbury, both as a solo musician, and in collaboration with acclaimed figures like Indian violinist Dr. L. Subrimaniam.
He became a member of the popular world music group Baka Beyond in 1998, contributing to their well-received East To West album, and in 2000 began to record his own solo debut Baiyo (retitled Mali for a later release through Arc Music), which encompassed his musical journey to that date, from Africa to Europe, via India. With support slots to luminaries like Salif Keita and Youssou N'Dour, solo slots at London’s Jazz Café and at Ireland’s Sacred Music Festival, and a nomination in 2001 for BBC Radio 3’s prestigious World Music Award, it’s clear that Keita’s many collaborations have fed and extended rather than diluted the African mainspring of his music.
“Everything in music has to be honest, and the deeper meanings of the songs and melodies must be preserved”, he explains. “This is why it’s important that collaborations should be right for the music, and there are connections between, say, Cuban and Indian sounds and the repertoire of the kora that can be explored without losing the distinct flavours of the different traditions and styles”.
A brilliant performer, Seckou also likes to share with people. His education work is less known to the public but is real. He regularly runs drumming and kora workshops in schools, arts centres, festivals working with organisations such as Music For Change, Creative Partnerships and WOMAD.
Finally, he is also a regular guest leader for Sewabeat company who offers alternative training package for commercial corporation.
Seckou Keita is a brilliant live performer with stacks of charisma, and one of the few champions of the less-known and rhythmically rocking kora repertoire from Casamance in southern Senegal where he is from.
Seckou Keita, an inspired exponent of the Kora that can makes the West African harp-lute sound like a small band.
