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Kimi Djabaté
Heir to the Mandinka griot tradition, Kimi Djabaté places the balafon at the heart of his music, alongside the kora, the guitar, percussion and singing. Based in Portugal, he brings West African traditions into dialogue with jazz, blues, fado and bossa nova, crafting a sound world that is both deeply rooted and resolutely contemporary. Sung in Mandinka, Creole and Portuguese, his songs carry a message of commitment: defending women's rights, calling for peace, and celebrating tolerance and dialogue between cultures.<br>
All dates
Kimi Djabaté
Heir to the Mandinka griot tradition, Kimi Djabaté places the balafon at the heart of his music, alongside the kora, the guitar, percussion and singing. Based in Portugal, he brings West African traditions into dialogue with jazz, blues, fado and bossa nova, crafting a sound world that is both deeply rooted and resolutely contemporary. Sung in Mandinka, Creole and Portuguese, his songs carry a message of commitment: defending women's rights, calling for peace, and celebrating tolerance and dialogue between cultures.<br>
Kimi Djabaté's artistic practice draws on a profound heritage: that of the Mandinka griots, guardians of a musical memory passed down orally for centuries. The balafon, the central instrument of this tradition, remains the heart of his musical language, which he enriches with the kora, the guitar, percussion and singing. His voice, gentle and deep, carries words in Mandinka, in Guinea-Bissau Creole and at times in Portuguese.<br>
Having lived in Portugal since his teenage years, the artist has developed a deliberate approach of cross-cultural fusion: he allows Mandinka rhythms to converse with jazz, blues, soul, bossa nova and fado, creating a sound world that is at once deeply rooted and resolutely contemporary. His arrangements, often pared back, leave room for emotion and melody, while incorporating acoustic influences from across the globe.<br>
His work is also imbued with social and humanist engagement. Through his songs, he addresses the condition of women in West Africa, denounces forced marriage (notably in the track "Bgijan"), and celebrates peace, education, tolerance and dialogue between cultures. On stage, his virtuoso playing and the infectious warmth of his concerts carry this message further: turning music into a space of encounter, transmission and transformation.<br>
Kimi Djabaté
Kimi Djabaté was born in 1975 in Tabatô, a village in central Guinea-Bissau renowned as a major centre of Mandinka musical tradition. He belongs to a long line of griots (djelis), the custodians of the oral history and music of their people. From the age of three, he began playing the balafon under the guidance of his father and the village elders, before learning the kora, the djembe, the guitar and singing.<br>
As a young boy, he accompanied his family at traditional ceremonies and performed throughout the region. In his teenage years, he left Guinea-Bissau for Portugal, where he settled permanently, mainly in Lisbon. There he continued his solo career and released his first album, Teterê, in 2009. It was followed by Karam (2013), Kanamalu (2019) and Dindin (2022), all praised by international critics.Today, Kimi Djabaté performs regularly on European, African and American stages, and stands as one of the most prominent figures of the West African musical diaspora in Europe.
Practical information
Address
Cascais Marina
Accessibility
Dates and times
Friday, June 26, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Safety
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
EXPERIENCES On board
Immersive exhibition Presents
Created with the exceptional collaboration of the Musée du Louvre, this exhibition highlights female figures in Mediterranean civilisation, thanks to the digitisation and modeling of part of the Louvre's collections. A two-stage experience: an introductory film to provide context, followed by an immersive experience in a 16-meter-long tunnel covered by 120 m2 of LED screens.
A sound journey through the Mediterranean
An immersive sound experience designed by Ircam, inviting the public to explore the richness and diversity of the Mediterranean through headphones equipped with spatialized sound.
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© Elisa Von Brockdorff
The artists
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the boat is freely accessible on site. However, you can pre-book your time online on our website.
For reasons of safety and preservation of the boat, high heels and stilettos may not be worn on the boat.
The museum boat is open to all free of charge. To find out on which quay it will be moored, or to pre-book your slot, consult the page dedicated to your town.
Appropriate facilities have been set up on the Festival site for the reception and access of people with reduced mobility. The boat is equipped with a 1m-wide ramp, accessible to people with reduced mobility, but may require the accompaniment of a third party due to its gradient of over 6%. Access to the aft deck and immersive exhibition is possible. However, the upper deck is not accessible. Please inform us in advance of any special accessibility requirements, so that we can make the necessary arrangements.