Sidiki Camara - Ankaben // plateslipp

Sidiki Camara – A Life in Music”

Malian-born, Oslo-based percussionist Sidiki Camara has built a long and distinguished career as a sought-after performer and pioneering innovator. For this album, he has assembled a veritable all-star ensemble to celebrate more than five decades in music.

Camara’s band features an exceptional line-up of some of Norway’s most influential musicians in their respective fields: Bendik Hofseth on saxophone, Unni Løvlid on vocals, Sarah Camille on vocals, Erik Sollid on fiddle, Jacob Young on guitar, Audun Erlien on bass and Eirik Asker Pettersen on guitar.

Camara is one of Mali’s leading percussionists and has earned international acclaim for his playing. He is regarded as an important innovator in the modern wave of West African Manding music. A highly sought-after collaborator, he appears in a wide range of musical settings—from progressive jazz with Ole Morten Vågan’s octet Mirror Image to record-breaking diaspora pop with Karpe and the cult disco/afrobeat band Sex Judas. In 2023, his breakthrough in Norway was crowned with a Spellemann Award for the album Return to the Traditions, on which he blended music from Mali with Norwegian folk music.

On this album, Sidiki looks back on his musical journey together with his trusted musical companions. Musicians from both folk and jazz backgrounds come together to celebrate some of the musical values he holds most dear: tradition, interplay and improvisation.

Whether you are a long-time fan or completely new to Sidiki’s musical universe, you are warmly invited to an evening of musical celebration!