Ali Baba & the Blessing Band

Ali Baba & the Blessing Band brings West African arts and culture to America. Ali's powerful, melismatic vocals sung in indigenous tribal languages combined with English will enlighten and entertain western audiences whose need for cultural roots reflect their own sense of communal loss. The Blessing Band is comprised of African dancers, background singers, and musicians playing authentic instruments such as; the 21 string harp-like Korah, the Djembe drum and more to create an exciting performance of exotic Saharan desert blues--the heart and soul of West Africa.

Born in Mali, West Africa as Ali Kamiya Ba in Bankass, a small rural village below the cliffs of Bandiagara, home to the legendary Dogon people, Ali spent many years in Mali as a successful tour guide and a professional singer. A multi-cultural mix of the Malinke' and nomadic Fulani tribe, Ali speaks five languages; Fulbe, Dogon, Bambara, French and English.