Benkan OUt now!

Benkan is the debut album from Djékady, a six-piece ensemble led by Grammy-winning musicians Balla Kouyaté, born in Mali, and Mike Block, raised in Kansas, USA. Meaning “agreement” in the Mandinka language, Benkan expands the possibilities of American music by celebrating the cultural richness shaped by global connection.

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a show that wove centuries of African, European and American musical traditions into a fiery new sound that had audience members on their feet.

— THE VINEYARD GAZETTE

about

Djékady is a Mandinka phrase that means “coming together is good.” The result of the collaboration between Grammy-winning musicians Balla Kouyaté (balafon, vocals) and Mike Block (cello, vocals), this six-piece band puts Malian music into conversation with American folk music and contemporary styles. Featuring Sekou Dembele (djembe), Idrissa Koné (talking drum, calabash, percussion, vocals), Luke Okerlund (guitar), and Mike Rivard (bass, sintir), the band’s energetic nature and deep appreciation for each other’s cultures create an unexpected and beautiful display of music without limitations.

Videos

Balla Kouyaté

Balla Kouyaté has been featured on over 45 albums, including Silkroad’s Sing Me Home, Yo-Yo Ma’s Songs of Joy and Peace, Angelique Kidjo’s Oyo, and Vusi Mahlasela’s Say Africa. His music has been recorded for the Library of Congress and heard in venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, and The Kennedy Center as well as festivals throughout US and Europe. As an ed ucator, he has offered masterclasses in universities and schools across the country including Harvard University, MIT, Berklee School of Music and CalArts. Kouyaté was chosen as a NEA National Heritage Fellow in 2019.
Mike Block

Mike Block is a Grammy Award-winning cellist, singer and composer with a passion for cross-cultural collaboration. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene,” (Gramophone) he has been a member of the Silkroad Ensemble for nearly twenty years, and directs Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop. Yo-Yo Ma calls Block “the ideal musician for the 21st century,” saying, “I’m always struck by his unique perspective on the world and his relaxed and confident approach; he takes on new music and new things fearlessly.”

Tour

Photos

Kouyaté & Block Band POSED (c) Kristin Otharsson.jpg