One of Mali’s most accomplished ngoni players, Bassekou Kouyate has lent his distinctive, swift-fingered style to dozens of the most successful traditional Malian records of the past two decades. While still a teenager he collaborated with the soon to be legendary kora player Toumani Diabate on a pair of classic albums, and has been in demand as a session player ever since. In the early ‘00s he formed Ngoni Ba, a ngoni quartet. The outfit released their debut, SEGU BLUE, in early 2007.