Arouna Diarra Trio

A griot (carrier of the traditions) from the Mandingue culture of West Africa, Arouna Diarra is an accomplished n’goni & balafon player. Performing a tradition of folk songs reflecting topics from war to love for one another, Arouna sings with spirit, nostalgia, and great joy, in his native language, Bambara. He plays the kamel n’goni – a 14-string harp-like instrument – with a melodic and percussive sensibility. Offering styles such as Wassalou, Arouna brings a dynamic repertoire to the table, full of timing changes and improvisational prowess. His trio includes long-time aficionados and students of West African music, multi-instrumentalists, Patrick Fitzsimons and Aaron Kaczmarek.