Aboulaye Koné

Born in the Ivory Coast, Aboulaye Koné comes from a family of Griots (musicians, historians and storytellers from West Africa). He studied music in Burkina Faso under Djeli Kienou and, in the course of his career, accompanied many African legends, including Go de Koteba, Adama Drame and Kandia Kouyaté.

In Canada, he is considered an undisputed master of Mandingo music. His ensemble, Bolo Kan, has won both the Silver and the Gold Syli awards for World Music. Having received awards from both the Québec and the Canadian Arts Councils, his first album, “Afo Gné” was nominated for a Juno Award in 2012, in the Best World Music Album category.