East Plaza, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi

A night of song, dance, discovery, discussion, and history, rooted in the folklore of the Mandé peoples of West Africa Innovative band leader of Balimaya Project, Yahael Camara Onono, presents a bespoke sextet in an explosive and intimate performance, accompanied by Sonzi - Guitar, Jali Bakary Konteh - Kora, Jonathan Moko - Bass, Aboubacar Konaté - Dounoun, and Aida Diop - Dance. Hakili Koura: A New Mentality is built on the need to push the boundaries of Mandé folklore and the virtuosic nature of its musicians. It aims to share the music in an interactive way, through nuances in language and cultural codes that haven't been articulated before. It shares and informs, but will toe the line of respect, guarding the secrets and rites of the incredible traditions held by the Mandé peoples. Biographies Yahael Camara Onono Yahael is the celebrated band leader of Balimaya Project, an award winning band based in London who are fast building themselves a well known name for their unique approach to music and composition, including a performance at The Arts Center in 2023. He has also made himself known as a component of the London jazz scene and beyond. Born in Harlesden, North West London of Nigerian and Senegalese heritage, Yahael grew up surrounded by traditional and contemporary forms of West African and African diasporic music first playing the djembe at the age of 8, it’s been his medium to explore music identity and the articulation and evolution of both ever since. Writing, composing, and recording for the likes of Yussef Dayes, Amaarae, and Davido among others, Yahael’s unique and virtuosic playing earned him a spot as the prestigious Barbican and Guildhall School of Music’s artist in residence for the year. He is, historically, the first contemporary artist to hold the position. Balimaya Project has also gone from strength to strength, collaborating with brands and other well established musicians, and recording/releasing 2 studio albums in 3 years. Both made album of the year charts in prestigious lists such as that of The Guardian, and the first album made the groups of the Songlines Magazine Newcomer of the Year award. Godwin Sonzi Born in London to Congolese parents, Sonzi has made a name for himself as a guitarist and producer on the London, UK, and global music scene. He has produced and contributed to tracks for artists like Balimaya Project, Yussef Dayes, Omah Lay, Wizkid, Amaarae, Stormzy, Yame, and many more. His virtuosic playing and ever-open ear are very much sought after. Jali Bakary Konteh Jali Bakary is the grandson and son, respectively, of the legendary Gambian kora players Alhaji Bai Konte (who helped to bring kora music to the wider world with his iconic album Kora Melodies From the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa in 1973) and Dembo Konte. As Banning Eyre has put it, “it is difficult to overstate the regal, nearly divine, stature” of the Konte family in the echelons of West African music. Born into this remarkable musical lineage and steeped in Gambia’s griot tradition, Jali Bakary is the latest torchbearer for his family’s kora legacy on the world stage. He has performed extensively throughout North and West Africa, as well as in the UK and the rest of Europe (WOMAD, Roskilde Festival). Although the kora tradition has changed a lot over the last half century, it has never stayed still. Like his father and grandfather before him, Jali Bakary brings his own personal touch and innovations to traditional songs with unique melodic and rhythmic arrangements. A hugely versatile musician, he regularly performs solo, as well as with his own band, Minyanta, and Balimaya Project - a new 16 piece collective who fuse West-African folkloric music and jazz. Jali Bakary released his debut album Konteh Kunda in 2010 and currently lives in London. Aida Diop Aida, born within a Lebou traditional family (the fishing community of Senegal), started dancing Sabar at a very young age. Together with other artists, they formed the group ‘Jappo’, meaning 'together', in Ouakam (Senegal). From this group, Aida was scouted by Landing Mane, one of the nation’s leaders of Senegalese dance and music, who became her mentor and teacher in 1997. She added djembe dancing to her repertoire and went on to join Ballets Africain de Sanghoma, leading to a tour with Daara-j in Senegal and abroad. In 2009 Aida joined Bakalama de Thionkessyl and received the opportunity to teach Sabar and Djembe dances at the American school at the U.S Embassy in Senegal. In 2010 Aida moved to the UK to work alongside Landing Mane and participated in various workshops and festivals such as WOMAD and Drum camp with Ballet Nimba, whom she toured the UK with. Since then, she initiated AIDANCE, a community dance project that has offered weekly traditional dance classes with live drumming in central London for over a decade, as well as an annual festival gathering West African traditional artists with workshops and performances. Her passion for West African cultural traditions, singing, storytelling, and community-related projects led her to perform traditional dances around the UK, sharing her ancestral wisdom with professional dancers, children, senior citizens, young people, and refugees. Aida is currently working in various schools throughout the UK and holds regular weekly classes in London. Aboubacar Konate Born in Burkina Faso to a griot family in the heart of Ouagadougou, Aboubacar has always been a virtuoso musician. He plays the Kamalen N'goni, bass guitar, Balafon, Tama, and many other instruments, but his main instrument is the Dounoun ensemble. A master dounoun player, Aboubacar has played and traveled the world with his craft, performing, composing, and teaching. Based now in the UK, Aboubacar is a core member of fast rising MAndejazz outfit Balimaya Project and runs his own group called Angata! Jonathan Moko Born in Belgium to Congolese parents but raised in the Caribbean, it's no wonder Jonathan’s much sought after bass work is as unique as his upbringing. Jonathan is a huge part of the infamous London jazz from Oscar Jerome to Kokoroko to Balimaya Project to Mansur Brown; his expertise has him in high demand!

Discover new global sounds as artists who bridge modern approaches with traditional roots come together in two concerts where different cultures, styles, and genres meet and connect. 4 bands on 2 stages. Book for 1 or both stages. 7pm to 10pm: Cimafunk + KOKOKO! live in concert outdoors on The East Plaza. 10pm to Midnight: Abosahar + Aïta Mon Amour play in a club atmosphere in The Black Box. All artists will be making their first UAE appearances. On The East Plaza Innovative Afro-Cuban funk meets definition-defying Congolese electronic sounds in an exciting cross-boundary musical conversation Cimafunk fronts a powerful live show in a celebration of Afro-Cuban grooves and an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience. KOKOKO! bring a colorful approach to electronic Congolese music using wild, uncontrollable sounds and instruments, tearing through any perceptions of African bands of the past. In The Black Box Egyptian DIY electro shaabi (mahraganat) beats meet Moroccan aïta poetry and rebellious digital music in an exciting showcase of cultural traditions reinvented for the dancefloor. Listen to the electrifying beats and soul-stirring melodies of Abosahar, the acclaimed King of Trobby Music, celebrated musician, and award-winning DJ. Aïta Mon Amour celebrates and preserves and reinvents the unique musical heritage of Morocco in a contemporary and digital manner. Cimafunk + KOKOKO! - 7pm to 10pm Cimafunk + KOKOKO! live in concert outdoors on The East Plaza - 7pm to 10pm - You can book tickets for this stage only or add the second show to your night. See the tabs above for the lineup and times. Click Buy tickets for prices. Cimafunk (Cuba) Cimafunk is a Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban rock star, whose live show is a celebration of groove and an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience. His name refers to his heritage as a “cimarrón,” Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of his music that aims to subvert classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat and hip hop. Cimafunk has received overwhelming praise as one of today’s great showmen, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his 9-member band from Havana, redefining contemporary Cuban music as well as Afro-Latin identity and the fusion of Black cultures. His latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album KOKOKO! (Congo) KOKOKO! exploded onto the electronic music scene in 2018 and quickly rewrote the usual Western narrative of what electronic music is and, more importantly, what “world music” isn't. The band's colorful approach through wild, uncontrollable sounds and instruments, rapidly tore through any perception, pre-condition, and performance of African bands of the past. KOKOKO! created the DIY instrument spectacle that has since forged a path for other bands to follow. Meanwhile, KOKOKO! have become more electronic and percussive, focusing on the nighttime atmospheres of Kinshasa - filled with energy and pushing everything from the equipment to the sound system to their limits. With amps smoking, wires melting, and the crowd losing it, this is the new KOKOKO! sound. Abosahar + Aita Mon Amour 10pm to Midnight Abosahar + Aita Mon Amour play in a club atmosphere in The Black Box - 10pm to Midnight You can book tickets for this stage only or add the first show to your night. See the tabs above for the lineup and times. Click Buy tickets for prices. Abosahar (Egypt) Listen to the electrifying beats and soul-stirring melodies of Abosahar, the acclaimed King of Trobby Music, celebrated musician, and award-winning DJ. He shares his passion, creativity, and cultural heritage through a fusion of electro shaabi (mahraganat) and personalized soundscapes. From the heart of Upper Egypt to international stages in Europe and beyond, Abosahar's music resonates with raw authenticity, drawing inspiration from his upbringing in El Minya. Embedded in Egyptian DIY culture, Abosahar's pioneering approach led him to utilize unconventional methods, such as an outdated computer and cracked software, to pioneer Trobby Music, establishing him as a leading innovator in Arab music. Aïta Mon Amour (Morocco) Composed of Widad Mjama, a pioneer of female rap in Morocco and a member of the duo N3rdistan, and Khalil Epi, a major figure in the electronic and contemporary Arab music scene, Aïta Mon Amour offer a new interpretation of an ancestral Moroccan popular music. Aïta is rooted in the country’s rural areas, sung by women singers who are the custodians of a centuries-old tradition. Aïta Mon Amour highlights the political, social, and mystical dimensions of the lyrics while striving to build bridges between the past and present.