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ALY by Olha Kovalevska _ Urban Lys Photos -39.jpg
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, Hans Lüdemann Trio Ivoire, L. Subramaniam, Trilok Gurtu & Jan Garbarek, 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)

Tour Dates:

23.01.25 Aly Keïta Trio / Germany, Schwabach
01.03.25 Trio Ivoire feat. Tamara Lukasheva / USA, Philhadelphia
19.03.25 Keïta-Brönnimann-Niggli / Switzerland, Zürich
20.03.25 Keïta-Brönnimann-Niggli / Austria, Kufstein
21.03.25 Keïta-Brönnimann-Niggli / Switzerland, Altbüron
22.03.25 Keïta-Brönnimann-Niggli / Switzerland, Wetzikon
17-19.04.25 Project “Star Dust Music” with the Resident Music Collective of Humboldt Forum / Germany, Berlin
16-18.05.25 Aly Keïta Solo at the festival XJAZZ / Germany, Berlin
29.05.25 Mande Sila feat. Habib Koite, Aly Keïta, Lamine Cissokho, Jamama Kone / Germany, Wurzburg
30.05.25 Aly Keïta and Trilok Gurtu / Germany, Eberswalde
31.05.25 Mande Sila feat. Habib Koite, Aly Keïta, Lamine Cissokho, Jamama Kone / Germany, Münster

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
Photo by Olha Kovalevska _ Urban Lys Photos -41.jpg

TOUR

videos

VIDEO

“Aly Keita is the one who, better than anyone, has decompartmentalized the balafon, opening it up to other rhythms and making it today, a "classical" instrument, despite a certain requirement of order, shall we say, of African spirituality it requires.” 

Jean-Jacques Dikongue, "A la une" (France)

music
photos

PHOTOS

Photo by Olha Kovalevska _ Urban Lys Photos -167.jpg

CONNECT

Aly Keїta Management

Urban Lys, Olga Kovalevska

Berlin

urbanlys.com 

+4916090394942

alykeitabooking@gmail.com

Projects:

Aly Keїta Trio

Aly Keїta & The Magic Balafon

Aly Keїta solo

Mande Sila / Habib Koite

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

 

connect
Photo by Olha Kovalevska _ Urban Lys Photos -40_edited.jpg

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© 2023-2025 Urban Lys: website, photography

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