"Kimi Djabaté (1975) is a Bissau-Guinean Afro-beat/blues musician. Based out of Lisbon, Portugal, he continues to be one of the contemporary links in a chain of West African music that extends back in time hundreds of years. Djabaté was born into a poor but musically accomplished family in Tabato, Guinea-Bissau. His interest in music started at the age of three when he started playing the balafon, the African xylophone, quickly learning other traditional instruments. In his pre-teens he left home to Sonako to study the kora. This helped him in the future by subsequently developing his guitar playing ability. His talent as a musician became much more than a childhood hobby for Djabaté as he was required to play at local ceremonies to help contribute to the family income. He was also interested in popular African genres such as the local dance music style gumbé, Nigerian Afrobeat, Cape Verdean morna, not to mention western jazz and blues, all of which have influenced his music." (Wikipedia)
Op 1 juli 2023 te aanschouwen op het Afrika Festival in Hertme: "Kimi Djabaté is een begenadigd gitarist, percussionist en balafonspeler. Op Djabaté's recent uitgebrachte album "Dindin" zet de veelzijdige muzikant uit Guinee-Bissau de traditie van zijn griot-erfgoed voort en zingt hij meeslepend over de complexiteit van het leven in modern Afrika. Door traditionele Afro-Portugese ritmes te mengen met Afrobeat-grooves, elektrische woestijnblues en verwijzingen naar Afro-Latin swing, weeft Djabaté een uniek tapijt van soepele en ingewikkelde geluiden, met intieme liedjes opgedragen aan familie en vrienden. Zijn thema’s zijn onmiskenbaar universeel en gaan over liefde, communicatie en menselijke verbinding."
