In partnership with Hampshire Libraries To Celebrate Make Music Day , the annual celebration of music-making that takes place in communities across the world, we’re delighted to bring you this special event at The Arc.

N’famady Kouyaté is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Guinea (Conakry) – now based in Cardiff – who wowed audiences with his modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms when he supported Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) on the Pang! album tour in 2022.

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.

With a full band line-up his arrangements are a fusion of Mandingue African with western jazz, pop, indie, and funk influences, featuring balafon, keyboards, drums, djembe, guitar, bass, kora, doundoun, congas, saxophone, trumpet, & callabash.

Following his headline slot on the Chai Wallah stage at the Green Man Festival in 2021, N’famady played Cambridge Folk Festival, The Great Estate, Underneath the Stars, Rhythmtree, Sidmouth Folk, Purbeck Folk & Belfast Mela in 2022. 2023 is off to a great start for N’famady with an appearance at South by Southwest festival (Texas) in March, as well as main stage slots at several major UK summer festivals, including Latitude and Shrewsbury Folk.

His debut EP, released in July 2021, included guest appearances from Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach), and Kliph Scurlock (The Flaming Lips).

With support from local Ukrainian duo Center of Mass, performing songs inspired by their favourite authors.