Seckou Keita

About the Event

Following the critical acclaim of his award-winning collaborative project with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, the extraordinary Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita will be striking out in 2015 with a new solo album and UK tour.

Variously described as a ‘griot (praise singer), composer, djembe master, virtuoso and pioneer’, Seckou is a rare type of musician, seated in tradition whilst constantly pushing the boundaries of his art.

A true master of the kora - a 22 stringed West African harp - Seckou, from the Casamance area of Southern Senegal, was a childhood prodigy, born of a line of griots and kings. Cissokho, his mother’s family name, gave life to his talent; Keita, his father’s, gave him royal blood. Seckou has graced the international stage since 1996, earning worldwide acclaim for his kora playing and appearing with a host of fellow artists including Salif Keita, Yossou N’Dour, Miriam Makeba and Neil Finn.
His last two albums Miro and The Silimbo Passage hit No.1 in the European world music charts, and Clychau Dibon, the fruit of his collaboration with Finch, won fRoots Critics Poll Album of The Year 2013, Songlines Magazine Best Cross Cultural Collaboration 2014, and two BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations.

Seckou Keita has arguably become the most influential and inspiring Kora player of his generation, an exceptional and charismatic musician. This, his latest tour, explores what it means to be a modern global citizen, and yet to live with seven centuries of tradition and heritage expressed through music. In his new album 22 Strings, Seckou gives us the kora in its purest guise, a wondrous instrument that can soothe the bloodlust of warriors and take the human spirit to a place of deep meditation, stillness and beauty.

Seckou is joined on this tour by Gwyneth Glyn, who grew up with a passion for words. However, that she had songs and melodies within her - and a voice with which to sing them - came as surprise. During her time as a Philosophy and Theology undergraduate at Oxford, she joined the Oxford University Drama Society and was later chosen to be a member of the Oxford Revue.
Some of her theatrical friends had a folk band called Coca Rosa and she was invited to join their side-project, The Dirty Cousins. The thrill of singing live was a revelation, and so, a Welsh singer-songwriter was born.
After returning to her homeland, Gwyneth rediscovered her native folk traditions which have been a central influence on her music ever since.

22 Strings is a co-production between ARC Music Productions International Ltd, Seckou Keita & Theatr Mwldan

Seckou’s UK tour 2015 is a co-production between Theatr Mwldan, Seckou Keita & Sasolo who are grateful to the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and Arts Council England for their continued support