Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and
Gustavo Ovalles in concert

This exceptional performance is sure to be an unforgettable experience

November 30, 2024

After captivating Montreal audiences last year, Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita are set to return to the stage for an extraordinary concert. Productions Nuits d’Afrique will once again host these talented artists, this time in a fresh configuration: the SUBA Trio.

Each concert is an enriching experience, offering a thoughtful listening journey through a heartfelt and captivating musical conversation.

Joined by the virtuoso Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, they promise an unforgettable musical evening on January 23, 2025, at the National. This unique performance is shaping up to be a must-see event for world music and jazz enthusiasts, offering a captivating fusion of styles and cultures.

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita are acclaimed musicians who collaborate to create a unique fusion of jazz, Latin, and African influences. A Cuban piano virtuoso, Omar Sosa has recorded over 30 albums and received seven GRAMMY or Latin GRAMMY nominations. A Senegalese kora master, Seckou Keita is a multi-award winner, notably earning the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year title in 2019.

Charismatic artists, Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita share an exceptional musical and spiritual chemistry that transports audiences and elicits standing ovations at their numerous concerts. Sosa’s inventive and percussive playing style blends beautifully with the soaring notes of Keita’s kora and the harmonic impulses of his Mandinka music. Their music builds bridges between cultures, combining Afro-Cuban sounds with West African musical heritage, creating a sound that transcends geographical boundaries and celebrates their shared African ancestry.

‘Seckou Keita can be classed alongside the great Toumani Diabaté as one of the adventurous masters of the kora – The Guardian’

The duo met in 2012, drawn together by their shared musical spirituality and ability to collaborate while maintaining their identities. Their debut album, “Transparent Water,” was praised for its beautiful and spiritual qualities. In 2021, they released their second album, “SUBA,” which serves as a hymn to hope and compassion in a post-pandemic world.

Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita et Gustavo Ovalles en concert au London Jazz Festival

Sosa and Keita often perform as a trio with Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, who exceptionally masters a wide array of percussion instruments. The combination of piano, kora, and percussion creates a bridge between the musical traditions of Venezuela, Cuba, and Senegal, and their live shows are described as spiritually engaging and musically captivating.

Among their notable performances is a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, where they played tracks from SUBA. An upcoming concert is scheduled at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on January 24, 2025, and another performance will take place at the Grand Théâtre de Québec on January 22, 2025.

Suba

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita’s album SUBA emerged from a context deeply shaped by the global pandemic, revealing a story of artistic creation marked by resilience and spiritual connection.

During the lockdown months, Seckou Keita reached out to Omar Sosa with the intuition that this challenging time presented a unique musical opportunity. Initially, each musician worked individually, developing musical ideas and fragments from their personal spaces.

‘Sosa is one of the truly illuminated minds of world jazz. He is shaping a new synthesis of Latin and American jazz – Billboard’

Their true point of convergence was the island of Menorca, where they reunited with their families. This place became much more than a simple creative space: a musical sanctuary where family life and artistic inspiration intertwined, bathed in Mediterranean light and the breath of the sea.

SUBA, a Mandinka term meaning “dawn” or “tomorrow,” deeply symbolizes the album’s intention. It’s meant to be a hymn to hope, composed during a time of great global uncertainty. The musicians transformed their isolation into a celebration of human connection, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.

SUBA, a musical tapestry woven with threads of friendship, spirituality, journey, loss, and rebirth, explores the universal themes that bind humanity together. Each note resonates with resilience, while every melody serves as a bridge connecting the rich African traditions of Cuba and Senegal.

This album transcends the boundaries of a typical musical project, evolving into an intercultural dialogue and a spiritual conversation. Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita, along with Gustavo Ovalles, have crafted a universal language of healing and hope through their artistry. SUBA’s impact was immediately recognized upon its 2021 release, earning accolades from NPR as one of the year’s best albums, claiming the top spot on the Transglobal World Music Chart, and garnering a prestigious four-star review in Downbeat magazine.

Montréal music enthusiasts have a rare opportunity to experience this exceptional trio live on January 23, 2025, at the National. As Sosa describes it, “For us, a concert is a ceremony, it’s a moment of collective communion.” This performance promises to be a transformative experience, blending Sosa’s inventive piano style with Keita’s mesmerizing kora and Ovalles’ masterful percussion. Tickets are now available for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening of musical exploration and spiritual connection.