Habib Koité

Habib Koité
Habib Koité
	Koité in 2014
Background information
Born	27 January 1958 (age 67)
Genres	World music
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Contre-Jour
Website	http://habibkoite.com/

Habib Koité (Bambara: ߤߊߓߌߓ ߞߎߥߊߕߍ, romanized: Habib Kuwatɛ, born 1958 in Thiès, Senegal) is a Senegalian-born Malian musician, singer, songwriter and griot based in Mali. His band, Bamada, was a supergroup of West African musicians, which included Kélétigui Diabaté on balafon.^[1]

Musical style

Koité is known for his approach to playing the guitar by tuning it on a pentatonic scale and playing on open strings as one would on a kamale n'goni.

History

Habib was born in Mali in 1958 and enrolled in the National Institute of Arts in Bamako. In 1988 he formed his first band, Bamada. He released his first solo album, Muso Ko, in 1995, followed by further solo works in later years.

Two of his songs, I Ka Barra and Din Din Wo, from Muso Ko, were included in the Sample Music package included with Windows Vista.