Babá Ken and West African Highlife Band
bandleader | vocalist | bassist | teacher | multi-instrumentalist
San Francisco | USA | Nigeria
Babá Ken is a beloved SF Bay Area-based Nigerian bandleader, vocalist, bassist, teacher and multi-instrumentalist, one of the few popular African musicians of today whose roots extend deep into his country’s musical history. He now leads several distinct African bands, including West African Highlife Band, an all-star group of West African master musicians offering a unique and delightful celebration of intoxicating dance hits from the highlife era of the 50s-70s. With master musicians from several West African countries and the United States, the band draws on folk traditions combined with modern stylistic elements, played with acoustic and electric instruments, and revives classic highlife dance hits of Ghana and Nigeria. Babá Ken was first seen in the U.S. as bassist on King Sunny Ade’s world tours. He is known for his work with Nigeria’s legendary Afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo Kuti, highlife master Dr. Victor Olaiya, and the seminal Afro-rock group Monomono. Babá Ken has countless Nigerian and American recording dates to his credit, and the Nigerian Journalists' Association five times voted him the country's top bassist. He founded the international super-group Babá Ken & KOTOJA, famed for its bubbling brew of Afrobeat, highlife, juju, and jazz, and which inspired the start-up of Putumayo World Music.