Meet and Greet with Habib Koité

Be part of this meet and greet before Habib Koité performs at Shannon Hall! We will have a facilitated discussion and then open the floor to the public to post/comment their questions. The meet and greet starts at 6:30 PM and we will be in the Beefeaters room (3rd floor of Memorial Union).

Habib is a Malian musician incorporating contemporary political subject matter into traditional African folk styles. He has earned the reputation of “Mali’s Ngoni Wizard” through his tireless innovations in traditional Malian music. Not only was he of the first musicians to electrify the ngoni (a stringed instrument native to Africa), but he has also collaborated with artists from outside African borders, enlisting other musical pioneers like Sir Paul McCartney and Damon Albarn (of Gorillaz fame) to assist in his trailblazing mission. Rhythmically complex yet melodically direct, Kouyate’s music never sacrifices technical proficiency for the sake of accessibility, or vice versa.

This event is open to all UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff, as well as Union members and their guests.