Habib Koité

Malian guitarist and singer Habib Koité is one of Africa’s most popular and recognized musicians.

One of the keys to his success has been his dedication to touring. As true road warriors, Habib Koite & Bamada have performed more than 1700 shows since 1994 and appeared on some of the world’s most prestigious concert stages worldwide.

Habib Koité brings together different styles of Malian music and creates a new pan-Malian approach that reflects his open-minded interest in all types of music. He has gained a strong fan base by integrating the rock and folk sounds of the Western world, without watering down his cherished Malian roots.

Called "Mali's biggest pop star" by Rolling Stone (in an infamous article in which Bonnie Raitt compared Habib to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn), he has also received raving reviews from widely read publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times.

Habib Koité has been touring mostly with his band Bamada. From 2024 he presents a new, acoutic program with Aly Keita (balaphon), Lamine Cissokho (kora), Mama Koné (percussions).