Kabey Konate, a singer from Burkina Faso born in the northeast of Ivory Coast, was raised amidst the songs of his griot mother and the music of his elder brother, a leading percussionist. His first artistic steps were in dance. He made a name for himself through dance competitions and then through rap shows while he was in high school.
Kabey Konate’s musical passion grew within him. In 2002, he recorded his first demo in Abidjan and then, in 2005, he settled in Burkina Faso, his country of origin, to pursue his career. Welcomed by the Kienou family, a great family of musicians in Ouagadougou, he became part of the Burkina Faso musical scene as a percussionist, alongside Madeni Kienou and his brother Dramane Konate. He accompanied Bil Aka Kora, Luis Marques and many others. He directed the musical portion of Africa’s only equestrian show, La geste des étalons. From festival to festival, he enlivened stages at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, he continued his career as a singer with a very personal style of reggae and world music sprinkled with Mandinka sounds. In 2006, the Burkina Faso public discovered his songs for the first time when he performed the opening act at a concert by Alpha Blondy. He brought out his début album, Douaou, in 2010, and then a maxi album, Africa Elections, in 2014.
He has taken part in festivals including Historique du mandingue in Mali, where he opened a show by Tiken Jah Fakoly, Jazz à Ouaga in Burkina Faso, Reggae City and Les Journées d’Afrique in Québec City .