We are proud to announce the release of two new live performance videos from Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita:
Seckou Keita
Catrin & Seckou: New Videos
Monday, April 29th, 2013Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita: New Show and Album.
Friday, March 29th, 2013
This is something special!
Seckou and Catrin on stage in Wales recently in a week of pre-production for their first album.
Touring follows in the autumn.
An Astar Artes-Theatr Mwldan Co-production with support from Arts Council Wales.
Looking forward!
Photo by Josh Pulman
Seckou and Catrin: New Work
Monday, March 18th, 2013
Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita are preparing an album and performing two shows this week in Wales at The Royal Welsh College on Weds 20th and Theatre Mwldan, Cardigan, on Thurs 21st.
4* Mojo review for Miro
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
.Seckou Debuts at No 1
Monday, February 4th, 2013We are very pleased and proud to announce that Seckou's album Miro has gone straight to No1 in the world music charts. For more information go to http://www.wmce.de/index.html
Seckou appears on Jazz FM CD and BA
Wednesday, December 12th, 2012
Seckou's track Hino will be appearing on the latest Jazz FM limited edition compilation available from Jan. The CD entitled "A world of Discovery" will also be carried on all BA planes in flight entertainment systems,on both short and long haul.
This album, which is the third in the series, consists of a unique selection of largely undiscovered tracks from many of the less known corners of the musical globe
Have a listen as you fly…
Miro gets 4* Songlines review
Wednesday, December 12th, 2012Songlines Jan Issue 2012
Seckou Keita Miro Astar (48 mins)
Well-travelled griot keeps the home fires burning
Seckou Keita is representative of a new breed of African musician for whom the world really has become a global village. Born into a griot family in the Casamance region of Senegal, he now lives in Nottingham, and recorded this album in six countries across three continents, from Dakar to Havana and from Seville to Bogota. The opening track ‘Rewmi’ (Country) was a popular anthem calling for unity during the Senegalese elections earlier this year, with Keita’s rippling kora work and sturdy voice underpinned by female backing vocals, calabash and the throbbing pulse of Cuban bass player Michel ‘Pata’ Salazar. ‘Hino’ finds the Spanish singer Inma ‘La Carbonera’ delivering a characteristically passionate flamenco vocal in duet with the soulful, Arabic-tinged voice of Mohamed Diaby over Keita’s lovely solo kora. Salazar returns again on ‘Kouma’, a tour de force on which he’s joined by Colombian percussion, flute and balafon. Yet the album is far from being a global mishmash of styles. Rather it beats strongly with a sense of unity of purpose, rooted in both Mandinka and Wolof traditions, so that however far Keita’s musical travels take him, his proud griot heritage journeys with him.
TRACK TO TRY: Kouma
Nigel Williamson
Seckou BBC World Service Interview
Friday, November 9th, 2012
Seckou Keita was a guest on BBC World Service's The Strand arts programme. He also played Distance live in the studio.
You can listen to the whole programme by going to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0104j6m
or you can listen to the interview here.
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BBC World Service with Seckou Keita
Seckou Musika Interview
Friday, November 9th, 2012
Musika have just posted an excellent interview with Seckou Keita. Click here or go to http://www.musika.uk.com/2012/11/interview-seckou-keita/ to read more.
Miro gets a 4* review in The Guardian
Monday, October 8th, 2012
Robin Denselow
The Guardian, Thursday 4 October 2012 22.30 BST
Following the debut set by those rousing London-based Ethiopians, Krar Collective, here's another reminder of the great African music currently to be found in the UK. Seckou Keita lives in Nottingham, but was born into a griot family in Casamance, in the south of Senegal, where he was taught kora and percussion by his grandfather and uncles. He's a fine instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, and his distinctive, gently driving style is influenced both by his West African roots and international travels. So on the opening track Rewmi (Country), his fluid, rippling kora work is matched by sturdy backing from the Cuban bass player Michel "Pata" Salazar, guitars and calabash, and insistent vocals from Keita, Mariama Kouyate and his sister Binta Suso, while the song itself is a call for unity that was popular in Senegal during the elections earlier this year. Elsewhere, he shows off his instrumental work on the drifting instrumental Distance, and is joined by flamenco singer Inma "La Carbonera" for the passionate flamenco-kora workout, Hino. A classy, often gently mesmeric set.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/04/seckou-keita-miro-review
