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bio

ABOUT

Aly Keïta, a virtuoso of the Balafon, was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. From his youngest age, he was introduced to the instrument by his father, himself a Balafon player.
The West African musician gained worldwide recognition for his mastery of the balafon, which he has been playing since childhood, and has now made it to the side of the best: Omar Sosa, Joe Zawinul, Rhoda Scott, Paco Séry, Pharoah Sanders, Paolo Fresu, L. Subramaniam, Trilok Gurtu & Jan Garbarek, Shai Maestro, Hans Lüdemann Trio Ivoire, to name just a few.
Today, Aly Keïta lives in Berlin and connects musical worlds with the impressive virtuosity. He wanders between spectacular African rhythm, polyphony and jazz elements, and combines them to create a wonderful and unique sound world – two magical hands and a thousand and one strokes.

In 2022 Aly Keïta has won the German Jazz Prize in the category "Special Instruments".
“I want my music to be alive and full of energy, hope and love, music that I can share with the audience and through which the audience and I can share our joy.”

Awards:
2022 German Jazz Prize in the category “Special Instruments” 
2009 World music prize Creole (Germany)

music
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BALAFON EVOLUTION
IS OUT NOW!

The new album of Aly Keïta Trio "Balafon Evolution" (One World Records, 2026) was released on 6 March, 2026 in CD, vinyl and digitally. 

  • Apple Music
  • Spotify
  • Deezer
  • Youtube
  • Amazon

PRESS

“THE BALAFON HAS RARELY SOUNDED SO VERSATILE: DEEPLY ROOTED IN AFRICAN TRADITION AND YET INFUSED WITH A COSMIC, FUTURISTIC TWIST"

NIGEL WILLIAMSON / SONGLINES / MARCH 2026

“THE ALBUM COMBINES CULTURAL ROOTS WITH EXPERIMENTAL OPENNESS AND IMPRESSIVELY DEMONSTRATES THE EXPRESSIVE POWER OF THE BALAFON IN CONTEMPORARY JAZZ AND WORLD MUSIC DIALOGUE."

JACEK BRUN / JAZZ-FUN.DE / MARCH 2026

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Projects

PROJECTS

Aly Keïta performs solo as well as in various projects in Germany, countries of Europe, Africa and other parts of the world.

Currently he is working with these projects:

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ALY KEїTA

SOLO

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KEїTA-BRÖNNIMANN-NIGGLI

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ALY KEїTA

TRIO

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MANDE SILA feat. HABIB KOITE & Co.

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ALY KEїTA AND THE MAGIC BALAFON

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HANS LÜDEMANN

TRIO IVOIRE

tour
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EVENTS

videos

VIDEOS

Aly Keïta Trio "Adjamé Street" (live fragment)
01:59
Aly Keïta Trio - Farafinko (live)
08:04
Aly Keïta Trio "Adjamé Street" (live teaser)
00:54
Aly Keita "Maloya" (live in Samarkand)
04:49
Aly Keïta Trio - Makuku
04:51
jazzahead! 2018 - Aly Keïta - Jan Galega Brönnimann - Lucas Niggli
30:02
Aly Keïta & Trilok Gurtu "Made in C.F.P.M." (live)
06:06
Aly Keïta Trio "Makuku" (live teaser)
00:22
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STORE

All Products

CONTACTS

Aly Keїta Management

Urban LysPotsdam

urbanlys.com 

+4916090394942

info@alykeitabalafon.com

Aly Keїta Booking

Olha Kovalevska

+4916090394942 (mobile, WhatsApp)

booking@alykeitabalafon.com

Projects:

Aly Keїta Trio

Aly Keїta solo

Aly Keїta & The Magic Balafon

Mande Sila

Contre-jour:

Genevieve Bruyndonckx,

Michel De Bock
Belgium

contrejour.com

info@contrejour.com

Keïta/Brönnimann/Niggli

Intakt Records, Lucas Niggli
Zürich

intaktrec.ch

+41763495577
info@lucasniggli.com

Trio Ivoire

o-tone music
Gießen, Deutschland

o-tonemusic.de
+4906419488932
info@o-tonemusic.de

 

EPK & RIDER

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