Benkan

Release Date: October 17, 2025

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Tracks:

  1. Koromanti # 1 / Primpin

  2. Democracy

  3. Farewell to America

  4. Diaraby

  5. Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further Into The Fire

  6. Bani

  7. This Land is Your Land

  8. Gansan

  9. Tune for Tunde

  10. Zidomal

  11. This Must Be the Place

  12. Toumamasi

About

Benkan is the debut album from Djékady, a six-piece ensemble led by Grammy-winning musicians Balla Kouyaté, born in Mali, and Mike Block, raised in Kansas, USA. The two met as members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, and their collaboration has deepened through years of shared musical exploration. They brought together three African and three American musicians: Sekou Dembele (djembe), Idrissa Koné (talking drum, calabash, percussion, vocals), Luke Okerlund (guitar), and Mike Rivard (bass, sintir). Rooted in both West African and American traditions, Djékady expands the possibilities of American music by celebrating the cultural richness shaped by global connections.