FEBRUARY 03, 2004—Guitarist Habib Koitè, one of the leading figures in contemporary world music, and his five-member ensemble Bamada will return to Northern Ohio this month to perform in concert at Oberlin College.

The ensemble blends the rhythms, melodies, instruments, and languages of Mali with the influences of blues, jazz, rock, and Latin music as well as the contemporary sounds of guitars, electric bass, and drums.

Koitè’s albums--Muso Ko, Ma Ya, and Baro --are a fixture on World Music Charts Europe, and he has been recognized as an "emerging world music superstar" by the Los Angeles Times.

The group has toured the world extensively, performing throughout Africa, Europe, and North America, as well as in Japan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Koitè’s live performances and vivid personality have engaged audiences everywhere.

"By the last encore, everyone…was moving his feet, shoulders, arms, and hands as all joined in a joyous dance led by Koitè," said Cleveland Plain Dealer critic Wilma Salisbury last February, when the ensemble performed at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Acclaimed by such publications as Le Monde, BBC The World, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times, the musician has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and CNN WorldBeat, and counts among his most ardent fans such diverse musicians as Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.