N'famady Kouyaté Biglietti

Doors 7.30pm | Tickets £16 + booking fee | Malt Room Standing

N’famady Kouyaté is a young energetic master musician from Guinea (Conakry), who relocated to Cardiff (Wales) in 2019. A talented multi-instrumentalist who wowed audiences across the UK and Ireland during autumn/winter 2019/20 with his modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms supporting Gruff Rhys on the Pang! album tour. N’famady’s primary instrument is the balafon – the traditional wooden xylophone, sacred to West African culture and his family heritage of the griot/djeli. In Guinea, he founded ‘Les Héritiers du Mandingue’ a tradi-modern group that toured extensively in West Africa.

In the UK N’famady has played both as a solo artist and with a full band lineup – where his arrangements are a fusion of Mandingue African with western jazz, pop, indie, and funk influences provided by an ever-evolving collective of musicians. Instrumentation includes balafon, keyboards, drumkit, djembe, guitar, bass, kora, doundoun, congas, saxophone, trumpet, & callabash. N’famady’s performances create amazing atmospheres and vibrations wherever he goes, and audiences are charmed by his infectious enthusiasm and joy.

“His exceptional musicianship is highly regarded internationally from London to Dakar and his professionalism, enthusiasm, communication and collaborative skills are second to none, further galvanizing his recognition as an innovative and ground breaking musician.” Gruff Rhys

“…a kaleidoscope of vibrant sounds and colours, a mesmerizing and joyous introduction to a truly international artist” Bill Cummings, God is in the TV

“The sound of unfettered joy…that’s utterly utterly wonderful” Adam Walton BBC Radio Wales on Balafô Douma

“It’s genuinely consciousness expanded….so beautifully done” Adam Walton BBC Radio Wales on Aros I fi Yna