Touki: Plastic Man

About the event

West African multi-instrumentalist and composer Amadou Diagne has musical roots tracing back through a long line of Griot musicians.

A member of L’Orchestra National du Senegal, Amadou regularly performs as a percussionist in concerts, cultural events and on television for the top West African stars. Since moving to England, Amadou has forged his own musical identity and released acclaimed solo albums featuring the kora, guitar and percussion, which have received air play on BBC Radio 3 and across the world.

Cory Seznec discovered fingerstyle guitar and clawhammer banjo whilst growing up in the US. Now based in Paris, numerous travels and encounters in countries including Ethiopia and Kenya have helped shape his playing. After 10 years on the road with renowned roots act Groanbox, his style is now more syncopated, polyrhythmic, and cross-pollinated. Influenced by blues and ragtime, Cory draws heavily upon American traditions, combined with African fingerstyle techniques.

When Amadou and Cory had a chance encounter in a bar in Bath in 2007, they knew one day they would record together. Thirteen years later they embarked on a new musical adventure, and their debut album ‘Touki – Right of Passage’ was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Somerset.

Drawing heavily on the traditional music and rhythms of West Africa, Touki’s sound infuses East and West African styles and traditions with Appalachian banjo, folk motifs, and orchestral arrangements. The kora dances playfully around banjo and the guitar whilst the calabash and other percussion add powerful, driving beats, overlaid with entrancing, silky vocals.

Released in March 2024, Touki’s new album Plastic Man focuses on climate change, environmental activism and spirituality, weaving together West African fables with current social, economic and political challenges.

For this tour, Amadou and Cory are joined by Michael Ward-Bergeman, an accordion virtuoso, singer and percussionist who regularly performs with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, and whose compositions feature in the latest Coppola film.

“A thrilling global folk album” Songlines

Doors open: from 7pm, show starts 7:30pm
Bar and Refreshments available (cash/card).
https://www.coryseznec.com/touki

Touring as part of Culture in Common’s Acting Up programme.

Tickets available through the link below.

Tickets