N'Faly Kouyaté

Due to his dexterity and elegance in impassioned playing of the kora, N’Faly Kouyaté became known as the „Jimi Hendrix of the kora”.

In addition to various projects and solo performances, he became a member of Peter Gabriel´s group Afro Celt Sound System and the Leader of his own projects (Kora Strings, N'Faly Kouyaté & Dunyakan, etc).
Already in 1999, his projects achieved a Golden Record and in 1999 and 2001 they were even nominated for the Grammy Award.

As the son of the famous “Konkoba” Kabinet Kouyaté from Guinea, he was traditionally brought up as a Djeli (Griot), an ambassador of the Mandingo culture. Thus, he stands in line with professional musicians who have for centuries been an indispensable part of West African culture.

As a griot (or “guardian of the culture”) N’Faly Kouyaté has taken on the responsibility of preserving the cultural heritage of artists, and in particular the musical traditions of West Africa. His aim is to develop a deeper understanding of these traditions and, above all, to share his passion for his own history and musical legacy.

So he founded in 1996 the non-profit organisation Namunkanda - „The Defense of Culture”, which promotes a harmonious relation between all cultures, the preservation of their ancient traditions as well as the knowledge about the Mandingo culture. In 2010, he re-organized his organization and founded an office in Brussels under the name NAMUN Group.

„As a musician, I feel a responsibility to capture my history and culture for the younger generation.” (N'Faly Kouyaté, 2010).