Dudù Kouate

Dudù Kouate was born in Senegal in 1963 into a family of griots, the conservators of the African cultural and musical tradition. Member since 2017 of the historic Art Ensemble of Chicago, Dudù’s performances are famous for his array of 200+ instruments (many of which are manufactured by Dudù himself from recycled and upcycled materials) with which he journeys to the roots of the sounds of the earth - a journey he names the search for the ‘sound of elements’.

Recognised as an enhancer of traditional instruments, especially percussion and idiophones, he has expanded their inclusion within diverse musical contexts. His debut album Africation saw him mark a new creative phase, including string and wind instruments from the Berber lute (xalam) to the kanjira, from the djembè, the Senegalese drum, to pan-African flutes and the Australian didgeridoo.

Dudù’s solo show takes the listener on a virtual journey of African sounds reworked in his style and perspective. Through this soundworld, he depicts the suburbs of Dakar, the natural landscapes, the savannah, the desert, the villages, and the stories of humanity.