Guitari Baro

Guitari Baro, which translates as "Guitar Conversations", is an instrumental musical trio from Mali and Guinea.

The formation consists of Gaoussou Kouyaté playing acoustic guitar under the influence of Ali Farka Touré's desert blues, Kerfalo "Petit" Diabaté, who alternates between electric and acoustic guitar and is inspired by Carlos Santana or Cameroonian musician Richard Bona, and the master of the balafon Lassana Diabetes. In the past, he has been part of elite ensembles (such as Trio Da Kali or Symmetric Orchestra) and participated in projects with the avant-garde group Kronos Quartet. The music of Guitari Baro is based on the deep musical traditions of the West African griots (Mande nation), while the musicians organically integrate elements of jazz, Congolese rumba, rock and roll and Cuban music into it. They released their eponymous debut album in September 2025 on the label Chrysalis Global, the production of which also involved the ethnomusicologist Lucy Durán and Dudu Sarr. They gained international acclaim immediately after their rousing performance at the Dakar Music Expo 2025. Their released compositions include, for example, Mamelles, Kolonkan or Bambougou.