2nd annual Global BASH
Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate

A boundary-trampling high-octane hybrid in which the lightning fast electrified licks of Kouyate are matched by the explosive energy of Driscoll’s rapidfire rhyming. —Songlines UK.

US-born, England-based Joe Driscoll knows no French. Sekou Kouyate, who hails from the West African country of Guinea, speaks little English. But it turns out they have a whole lot to “talk” about. Together, Driscoll and Kouyate blend hip-hop, spoken word, funk, and soulful, accessible rock with Afrobeat, the positive vibes of reggae and irrepressible African grooves, addressing poverty, immigration and border conflict, and similar social issues. Kouyate sings in French and his native Susu language. Already a phenomenon in Africa for transcending the traditional reach of his instrument, he blows minds and ears with hypersonic electrified riffs on the kora, bringing the exalted West African harp into the 21st Century with use of distortion peddles, effects and jaw-dropping technical prowess.

Expounding in lightning fast bursts of cunningly crafted English, Driscoll contributes the rapping, looping, and beatboxing talents he developed growing up in Syracuse, and during his own successful recording career fusing folk and hip-hop. He is known for using live looping to create soundscapes full of beatbox, guitar, harmonica, percussion, harmonica, and just about anything else. Their inimitable collaboration has led to the formation of a band, the recording of their critically acclaimed debut album Faya (Cumbancha), which reached #2 on the prestigious World Music Charts Europe, and over 120 concerts across Europe, including its top festivals. Driscoll and Kouyate, with a full band, will play the main stage 3 to 4pm and a set on the Dock at 7:15.