Habib Koité (, born 1958 in Thiès, Senegal) is a Senegalian-born Malian musician, singer, songwriter and griot based in Mali. His band, Bamada, was a supergroup of West African musicians, which included Kélétigui Diabaté on balafon. Coming from a noble lineage of Khassonké griots, Koité is known for developing a distinctive guitar style that blends traditional Malian musical forms with elements of blues and Afro-Cuban music, while maintaining strong roots in Mali’s regional rhythms and cultural traditions.
Musical style Koité is known for his approach to playing the guitar by tuning it on a pentatonic scale and playing on open strings as one would on a kamale n'goni.
History Habib was born in Mali in 1958 and enrolled in the National Institute of Arts in Bamako. In 1988 he formed his first band, Bamada. He released his first solo album, Muso Ko, in 1995, followed by further solo works in later years.
Two of his songs, I Ka Barra and Din Din Wo, from Muso Ko, were included in the Sample Music package included with Windows Vista.
Discography
Albums Muso Ko, 1995 Ma Ya, 1998 Baro, 2001 Live!, 2004 Afriki, 2007 Acoustic Africa in Concert, 2011 Brothers in Bamako, 2012 Soô, 2014 Kharifa, 2019
Sources Habib Koité Homepage Artist Profile Biography at Music-Wire
References
External links Review of Habib Koite and Bamada in Concert