Aly Keïta
The king of the balafon — from Abidjan to Berlin
Biography
Born in Abidjan into a Manding griot family and based in Berlin, Aly Keïta is the leading contemporary voice of the balafon: he was the first to make the instrument chromatic and establish it as a solo instrument, earning him the nickname “King of the Balafon” and the German Jazz Prize in 2022. With his Berlin trio (Marcel van Cleef, Roberto Badoglio), he released “Balafon Evolution” on One World Records on 6 March 2026 — an album produced by Aly Keïta, Carolina Vallejo and Olha Kovalevska.
The One World link
Aly Keïta is a One World Records artist for the album “Balafon Evolution” (2026), co-produced by Carolina Vallejo — his management remains with Urban Lys.
Distinctions and benchmarks
“Balafon Evolution” — Aly Keïta Trio (One World Records, 2026) · German Jazz Prize 2022 · First chromatic solo balafon
Performing formats
- Concert — Aly Keïta Trio
- Solo — balafon