Sahel Roots 

Originally from Bamako but with its roots more in the Sahel area and in the desert, Sahel Roots is a young band of two musicians that has only been around since 2019, but is already . The music of Alassane Samaké, singer and percussionist of the calabash, and Adama Sidibé, whose instruments are the soukou (one string violin) and the djourou kelen (one string lute), bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary Africa. Their songs are about daily life in Mali and in Africa in general: taxes, colonialism, bush fires, poverty and more.

Alassane Samaké worked with Sidi Touré and Boubacar Traoré “Karkar” with whom he travelled the world. Adama Sidibé started playing with his grandfather at an early age. For a long time he has been working with the Peulh singer Mamou Sidibé and Petit Guru, a Dogon musician. He also participated in Tiken Jah Fakoly’s album, “Le monde est chaud”.

Alassane Samaké : vocals, calabash
Adama Sidibé: sokou, djourou kelen

Mande Trio

Mandé is an acoustic trio that draws on the living memory of the griots to bring to life a repertoire passed down orally through the centuries. They are a breath of fresh air from the heart of West Africa. Deep voices, ethereal strings, organic rhythms… for an authentic and vibrant musical experience. Through acoustic instrumentation and refined vocal work, the group celebrates a living heritage and weaves a link between yesterday and today, between legacy and creation. A musical journey between roots and dreams, where each note tells the story of a people.

Singer Fanta Sayon Sissoko grew up in a renowned griot family in Mali. Losso Keita embodies the Bwaba tradition from Burkina Faso, deeply connected to nature. Oumar Barou Kouyaté, master of the djeli ngoni and nephew of Bassekou Kouyaté, also personifies the centuries-old Sahel blues.

Fanta Sayon Sissoko : vocals
Losso Keïta : vocals
Barou Kouyaté : djeli ngoni