Bakary Koné

Bakary Koné originates from a griot family in West Africa. A griot in West Africa is not only a singer and musician, they are also narrators who pass on traditions, rituals and important aspects of life to their listeners in order to preserve those from being forgotten. The tradition of griots presenting epic texts exists since the 3rd Century B.C. Their people, the Malinke, have settled in many West African countries, and their powerful melodious rhythms are world famous.

Bakary Koné was educated early as a drummer at child age und played at traditional festivals and ceremonies. He was born in 1980 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where he grew up until he moved, a few years later, to a village in Burkina Faso, close to the border to Mali. In the big city of Abidjan, a melting pot of the neighbouring cultures, he acquired a broad musical knowledge, combined with a vast spectrum of techniques and skills. As a teenager, he travelled to other African countries with diverse African groups. In 2000, he went on a tour in France and Germany with a group from Burkina Faso. Since 2002, he lives in Stuttgart, performing with several groups, participating in (theatre) projects and offering djembé workshops.

Bakary Koné is a master of the djembé; he also plays ngoni and bafalon and has acquired a wide musical range of traditional West African rhythms and songs.

Language: German