‘Acoustic Roots’: Jalli Lamin Kuyateh

In the programme 'Acoustic Roots' of 20 March (21:00 - 22:00h CET) master kora player Jalli Lamin Kuyateh will be our guest in the Pieternel at the St. Peter's church in Utrecht.

Jalli Lamin Kuyateh is from Gambia and started his training to become a kora player at the early age of five. When he was ten-years old he performed at ceremonies, parties and for tourists - sometimes together with his father and sometimes with other musicians. In 1983 he started the Fiscoband, one of the first groups in which he combined the kora with other African and western instruments. In 1993 he left for Europe with the company Ifang Bondi. With this group he performed in many European countries, at large festivals and on large stages.

The Netherlands

In 1996 he settled in the Netherlands. From 1997 he performed together with Angèle Jorna, a story teller of mostly African stories. He performed
solo at many stages, under
which the main hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, many festivals, conferences etc. In 1998 he started the Jalliya Ensemble, with whom he performed in halls like RASA,
the Tropenmuseum, the Melk-
weg and the Music Centre Vredenburg.

Multicultural group

Since 2000 he teaches kora at the Amsterdam Conservatory.
In 2004 he started the group Jalliyabaa, a large swinging, traditional group. In the same year he also set up the multi-
cultural group Badalaa in which traditional African instruments
are combined with western
ones. It is a form of Afro Pop.
In the meanwhile this group also performs under the name of Jalliyabaa. Jalil lamin Kuyateh sings traditional songs, but also writes and composes his own songs that are about recent history, social problems, politics, life, love, war and peace, special people and everything else
what matters to him. His latest project is the new group KoraFusion that was set
up in 2014.

The ensemble consists of:

• Jalli Lamin Kuyateh - kora, bolombatu and vocals (composer, songwriter)
• Moussé Pathé Mbaye - percussion
• Ibu Sylla - balaphone, djembé

You can find more information on afrika.moetjehoren.info and you can look at a video on YouTube.

Broadcast Acoustic Roots: 20 March 2015, 21:00-22:00h (CET)