Momi Maiga

Momi Maiga (1997) is a young Senegalese musician, singer and composer. He is a virtuoso player of the kora, the West African harp. His music is a combination of the traditional rhythms from Gambia and Senegal, mixed with flamenco and jazz, influences from his current home country Catalonia. Maiga is praised for his fluent singing voice and his sense of composition, which he has taught himself. He sings in Mandinka and Wolof, the languages closest to him.

Momi was born in Gambia, but moved early to the south of Senegal where he grew up in the Casamance region. He is a descendant of the famed Cissokho family, an ancient family of West African griots, the storytellers and guardians of culture. The Cissokhos are also specialized in building and playing the kora. Momi started playing this fascinating instrument at the age of six. In 2018 Maiga came to Barcelona at the invitation of the music museum. In mid-2019 he was invited back to Barcelona by the Museum of Ethnology and World Cultures. During this period he decided to settle in Catalonia.

On his debut album Nio, which means 'soul' in Mandinka, he brings together all kinds of cultures, not least those of the band members: the classically trained Mexican violinist and singer Carlos Montfort; cellist and singer Marçal Ayats; and Catalan drummer and percussionist Aleix Tobias. Expect breathtaking virtuosity, poetry and a positive message. Line-up: Momi Maiga - kora, vocals Carlos Montfort - violin, vocals Aleix Tobias - drums, percussion Marçal Ayats - cello, vocals