Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Boka Kouyaté is joined by his UW students and special guests the Djeliyah Band in an evening of West African music and dance.
PROGRAM
Djeliyah / Lamban
Kémebourema
Farakourou
Fêfo
Banine
Mamiwata
Balakoulandjan
Intermission
Malissadjo
Soli
Kèlè
Didadí
So"ko"
My Brother
Kèdo
Personnel
Boka Kouyate and the Djeliyah Band
Boka Kouyate - balafón, vocals, guitar
Naby Camara - balafón
Leif Totusek - lead/solo guitar
Daniel Mbumba - bass guitar
Foluso Mimy - djembe and vocals
Afua Kouyate - shaker and dance
Paul Huppler - drumset
Nailah Bulley - dundún and dance
Mamadi Conde - dance
UW World Music Ensemble Students
Rowan Bever
Finley Brown
Nick Fowler
Leo Freedman
Abigail George
Alex Guthery
Galin Hebert
Zachary Leeb
Minghao Li
Elene Liu
Sage Ramberg
Markus Teuton
Richie Torres-Antunez
Wenwen Wei
Biography
Aboubacar "Boka" Kouyate is a singer and multi-instrumentalist (balafón, guitar, djembe) from Guinea. Boka is a member of West Africa’s most famous family of Mande hereditary musicians, also referred to as griots or jalis/djelys. Boka was born into a griot tradition, the son of Djely Nounke Kouyaté, a guitarist, balafonist and a traditional storyteller, and Djéné Dioubate, a Djely popular singer in Guinea. Boka began singing with his mom at a young age, strapped to her back as a child while moving from ceremony to ceremony. His father's balafón playing and traditional stories made up Boka's first musical education. Soon after, Boka attended French school for many years, where he began writing his own songs, and went on to earn a Microbiology degree from the University of Kankan in 2010. With his voice and the djembe drum, Boka toured throughout West Africa from 2000 to 2014 with many famous Guinean artists, such as Requins De Ballakala.
After moving to the United States in early 2014, Boka Kouyaté Co-founded Kouyaté Arts, an interactive performance company of drummers, dancers and singers. He is the lead vocalist and composer of the Djeliyah Band, creatively connecting a fusion of traditional Djely music to the world. He teaches and composes his original music, as well as traditional djembe and balafón rhythms, and songs from Guinea. Tonight he will be joined by his UW students from MUSIC 389: World Music Ensemble, as well as special guests, to culminate the end of his visiting artist residency this quarter.