JAZZ BALAFON | Ensemble artistique de Bolomakoté | Burkina Faso

The music of Yaya Ouattara, magician percussionist, is the reflection of his soul: a vision of the world made of a precious mixture of cultures and sensitivities. His music is the synthesis of his encounters with modernity, Manding influences, the melodies of the people of Niger and Mali, the songs and drums of Ghana and Benin, and the legends of the city of Kong. Born in the historic cultural neighborhood of Bolomakoté in the city of Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, Yaya was encouraged by the words of the griots and the advice of village chiefs, he was introduced to this traditional music from the Dioula’s region at a very young age. Music that accompanies all events of social life, from baptism to funeral ceremonies. It is through it that the foundations of traditional know-how are expressed. Yaya and his band “l’Ensemble artistique de Bolomakoté” are a Burkina Faso’s modern traditional music reference, an uplifting vibrant creative force.