Habib Here To Play

The internationally-acclaimed Malian singer and guitarist, Habib Koite, will perform at the Alliance Francaise in Accra at 8.00pm next Tuesday, March 18 as part this year’s edition of La Francophonie. Celebrated annually all over the world by countries that use French as an official medium of communication, La Francophonie is a period of good quality variety entertainment embracing music, puppetry, films, drama, fashion and art. In Ghana activities will be held in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Takoradi. Participants are from Togo, Canada, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Mali. Habib Koite is the biggest draw for the celebration here. Supported by his Bamada band, Koite’s dreadlocks make one expect a wild and crazy stage presence but the opposite is what prevails. On stage, he is humility incarnate, providing thorough leadership and musicianship, the unifying force that has kept Bamada going for several years. Koite’s guitar work has been described as ‘technically masterful and nuanced.’ In addition to traditional Malian motifs, his playing incorporates stylistic ingredients from flamenco, Afropop, samba, and American jazz and blues. His gorgeous three-octave voice also makes him a unique performer. La Francophonie, which started on March 11 and ends on March 29, is organised by Embassies of member countries of the Francophonie and sponsored by CFAO, Total, SDV, Golden Exotics and AGS.