Features of the age-old instruments the lute and the harp are combined in the kora, a 21-string musical instrument from West Africa, one of whose finest exponents will perform in Ballina next month.
Seckou Keita is from Senegal, and has worked with notable artists in the spheres of jazz, pop, Latin, folk and classical, including collaborations with Damon Albarn of the bands Blur and Gorillaz, and Paul Weller of The Jam.
Performing all over the globe as a solo artist with his ground-breaking quintet, Seckou has captivated audiences at Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International and Montreal Jazz Festival.
He has released 11 albums as a leader and co-leader and has earned numerous accolades, including three Songlines Music Awards. He is also the recipient of several BBC Radio 2 folk awards, and was its Folk Musician of the Year in 2019.
Four days after his Ballina show, Seckou will appear as special guest to Grammy-award winner Rhiannon Giddens at her concert in the NCH, Dublin.
The 47-year old artist says that his music is ‘just music for the soul’, but his works exhibit the influence of genres such as jazz and folk, and sit comfortably in the category of world music.
Seckou Keita will take to the stage of Ballina Arts Centre on Saturday, September 6, at 8pm. Tickets, at €25 plus booking fee, are now on sale online at www.ballinaartscentre.com. You can also book by calling 096-73593, or by emailing info@ballinaartscentre.com.
