NEWS: N’Famady Kouyaté @ The Cluny

N’Famady Kouyaté is no stranger to the North East, having played at Sage Gateshead back in 2019, supporting and playing in Gruff Rhys’ band on the Pang! tour. Those who were there would surely remember his infectious and energetic performance. Now N’Famady is back with his own twenty date headline Balafô Douma tour, which drops in to The Cluny on Saturday 5^th November.

Cardiff resident N’Famady is a talented multi-instrumentalist whose primary instrument is the balafon, the traditional wooden xylophone sacred to West African culture and his family heritage of the griot/djeli. Originally from Conakry in Guinea, he wows audiences with modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs, fusing jazz, pop, indie and funk influences, with instrumentation ranging from balafon and djembe to saxophone and trumpet.

A collection of these songs were released last year in the form of his debut EP, Aros I Fi Yna, with new Welsh lyrics. Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios, the EP featured a full band line-up with guest appearances from Gruff Rhys, Lisa Jên Brown and Kliph Scurlock.

This year N’Famady’s Balafô Douma tour coincides with the release of new single Dere Ma, recorded once again in Rockfield Studios, this time with London-based producer Dustin Dooley.

N’Famady Kouyaté plays at The Cluny, Newcastle on Saturday 5^th November.