N’FAMADY KOUYATÉ

N’famady Kouyaté is a young energetic master musician from Guinea (Conakry), who relocated to Cardiff in 2019. A talented multi-instrumentalist who wowed audiences across the UK and Ireland during autumn/winter 2019/20 with his modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms supporting Gruff Rhys on the Pang! album tour. N’famady’s primary instrument is the balafon – the traditional wooden xylophone, sacred to West African culture and his family heritage of the griot/djeli. In Guinea he founded ‘Les Héritiers du Mandingue’ a tradi-modern group that toured extensively in West Africa.

In the UK N’famady has played both as a solo artist and with a full band line up under the banner of The Successors of the Mandingue – where his arrangements are a fusion of Mandingue African with western jazz, pop, and funk influences provided by an ever-evolving collective of musicians. Instrumentation includes balafon, keyboards, drumkit, djembe, lead guitar, bass guitar, kora, doundoun, congas, saxophone, trumpet, & callabash. N’famady’s performances create amazing atmospheres and vibrations wherever he goes, and audiences are charmed by his infectious enthusiasm and joy.

N’famady has just released his first EP, recorded in Rockfield Studios, with a full The Successors of the Mandingue line up, that includes guest appearances from Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach), and Kliph Scurlock (The Flaming Lips) – including mash-ups of traditional Guinean songs with new Welsh lyrics, modern & traditional instrumentation, all played by a ten piece band.

The Successors of the Mandingue have a steadily growing fanbase both in the UK and West Africa. Last year N'famady participated in a number of online events including DarloDrum Fest, Ara Deg festival online, Out Of Focus Wales, and Gwyl 2021 festival - but due to COVID-19 restrictions was only able to do solo sets. The Successors of the Mandingue with a full band line up, plus special guest Gruff Rhys, did manage to play one pop up (socially distanced) gig as part of a Butetown Carnival/Wales Millennium Centre event in Cardiff Bay in September 2020.