BALLA
KOUYATé

Explore the rich heritage of Malian griots and traditional Balafon music with Balla Kouyaté, a modern Djeli and cultural ambassador.

Balla Kouyaté’s lineage goes back more than 800 years to Balla Faséké, the first of an unbroken line of djelis in the Kouyaté clan. More commonly known as griots, in the Mandinka language, the word “djeli” means the oral historians, musicians, and performers who keep alive and celebrate the history of the Mandé people of Mali, Guinea, and other West African countries. Kouyaté explains, “It means blood and speaks to the central role we play in our society.” Said to be the original griots of the Malinké people, the Kouyatés have been charged with protecting the original balafon—the Sosso-Bala—since the 13th century.

Today, the Sosso-Bala is maintained by UNESCO, inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and by the Kouyaté family in Balla’s father’s village on the Mali-Guinea border. Learning from his father at the age of six, Kouyaté went on to play for farmers and presidents alike before immigrating to the United States in 2000. Since arriving, he has provided West African immigrant communities with an important connection to home through performances at weddings and special events.

As a keeper of tradition, he has committed himself to collaborations, both showing the versatility of his instrument and expanding the bounds of world music. His dedication to carrying on his family’s hereditary role as a djeli, his musical virtuosity on the balafon, and his humble nature and humility truly set him apart from others.

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Balla Kouyaté’s residency at Mayo Street Arts is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies.

Run Time: Approximately 75 minutes, including an intermission.