Photo by Will Wilkinson
" A real revelation" – Le Devoir, Montreal
"His quartet brings a whole new perspective to these powerful songs, teasing out their rich polyphony with subtlety and joy." - Lucy Duran
"Without a doubt, the Seckou Keita Quartet were a performance highlight at the Festival Mainstage in Halifax… one could never be prepared for the sheer joy and affectionate musicianship that is their performance, so much so that a very much unsuspecting crowd danced like a collective spirit possessed...it was beautiful."
- Canada Trust Atlantic Jazz Festival, Halifax NS Canada 2006
Seckou Keita SKQ
With a massively successful touring history and critically acclaimed album under their belt, the Seckou Keita SKQ are proud to announce the release of their new studio album ‘The Silimbo Passage’, alongside an eagerly anticipated extensive UK tour, kicking off in May. The tour showcases part of the ongoing evolution of their unique sound that derives from the group’s heart - Seckou Keita himself.
The Seckou Keita SKQ are one of the fastest growing, independent bands du jour, captivating audiences from Montreal to Manchester, Sweden to Senegal. Their forthcoming album is already garnering international attention as the band has received an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the Instrumental category at the International Songwriting Competition. The Seckou Keita SKQ possess a unique ability to touch every one who experiences their sound, making it easy to see how they are amassing fans worldwide with their captivating, contemporary music.
Hailing from Senegal, Italy, Egypt and The Gambia, the band is quickly becoming a real international treasure. Counting Richard Bona, Bela Fleck and Bobby McFerrin amongst his influences, Seckou Keita leads the quartet with his experimental tunings and virtuoso kora playing (a West African stringed instrument likened to the harp or the lute). His charismatic personality is portrayed through his unique improvisational playing, supported by the double bass/electric bass of Davide Mantovani, the eclectic percussions of Surahata Susso, the distinguished sound of the violin by Samy Bishai and enchanting voice of the gracious Binta Suso - the newest addition to the band, turning the quartet into a quintet! The result is a captivating contemporary sound with achingly beautiful melodies, virtuoso improvisation and luminous free spirit that transcends audiences
Distinguishing Seckou Keita from other world musicians, is his very own inimitable tunings, making him one of the most innovative and creative known kora players in the world today. These new tunings are showcased on SKQ’s latest album ‘The Silimbo Passage’, which creates a fresh sound and shifts SKQ into a music category all of their own.
Championing ‘eco-friendliness’ through CO2 Balance UK, SKQ are minimising their carbon emissions and offsetting their unavoidable CO2 residue by produced all their material on recycled paper or paper from sustained forests. They also offset all their tour emissions the band by donating money towards East Africa Energy Efficiency and contribute to tree planting in the UK.
With continuing funding from Arts Council England, the band are adding a number of key festivals to their tour, including a eagerly anticipated support slot to the Grammy-award winning Miriam Makeba, favourably known as ‘Mama Africa’ at the Brighton Festival which celebrates her 75th birthday! Other exciting dates include the Guardian Hay Festival, and London’s revered Jazz Cafe, as well as planned gigs in Italy, South Korea, Japan and a second participation to Montreal Jazz festival later this year.
The members of the SKQ are :
And our dear sound engineer Mark Burton
