ABOUT 

The swirling balafon playing of Aly Keïta – the winner of a Special Instruments German Jazz Award 2022 – is spectacular. The mallets in his hands seem to dance across the sound bars. The West African musician gained worldwide recognition for his mastery of the balafon, which he has been playing since childhood. 

Today Aly Keïta lives in Berlin, where he met the Netherlands drummer Marcel van Cleef and the Italian bassist Roberto Badoglio. In their music they wander between spectacular African rhythms, polyphony and elements of jazz. 

Together they prepare a release of the album “Balafon Evolution”, which changes the role of the balafon, known as a traditional instrument of West Africa, into a universal modern instrument. the role of the balafon, known as a traditional instrument of West Africa, into a universal modern instrument.