History of Our
Since 2014!
October 11
Orchestra Gold is an electrifying ensemble coming to us here from Oakland CA. Their music is crafted from a bold and hypnotic sound described as “psychedelic rock colliding with Malian soul in a sonic ritual where fate dances with free will, as guitars shimmer like heatwaves, horns speak in tongues, and grooves pull you sideways through time. It’s spiritual. It’s sweaty. It’s a portal.”
Praised by notable voices in the music industry—including Bob Boilen of NPR’s All Songs Considered, Chico Mann of Antibalas / Here Lies Man, Jim McGuinn of WXPN, and Banning Eyre of Afropop Worldwide—Orchestra Gold’s music is seen as both grounded in musical tradition and boldly moving African diasporic music forward.
Coming Up!
Past Performances
May 31, 2025
M’Bolo
A Powerful Start to our 2025 African Music Series, Senegalese powerhouse M’Bolo brought their signature blend of Mbalax and Rock, and the vibe was pure joy from start to finish!
Huge thanks to the Doherty staff for being incredible hosts, and to everyone who came out to support.
To see more of M’Bolo, check them out on Facebook or Bandcamp!
AMS 2024
February 18, 2024
Bassekou Kouyate + Ngoni Ba
Bassekou Kouyate is a master of the ngoni, a stringed instrument with a rich history in West African music and an ancestor of the modern banjo. His intricate fingerpicking and soulful vocals have captivated audiences worldwide, earning him BBC Radio awards, a Kora Award, and numerous accolades, including 2 Grammy nominations. Over the course of his 40 year career, he has released 5 albums, performed at major festivals and on prestigious stages around the world, and collaborated with many notable artists including Tourmani Diabaté, Bela Fleck, and Sir Paul McCartney.
Ngoni Ba, Kouyate's ensemble, features a dynamic lineup of musicians who bring their own unique talents to the group's sound. Together, they create a mesmerizing blend of African blues, Mali groove, and indie rock, infusing each performance with infectious energy and raw emotion.
AMS 2019
3-Part Series
February 7, 2019
Part 1: The Senegal-America Project
The first show of the series saw The Senegal-America Project take the stage on February 7 and play African music with a uniquely American touch. The ensemble featured Massamba Diop, Mamadou Ndiaye, and Abdou Sarr from Senegal along with Tony Vacca from the United States. Massamba Diop’s talking drum was featured on Marvel’s Black Panther soundtrack.
This talent was on full display for a lucky audience.
April 4, 2019
Part 2: Melodies from Mali
The second concert took place on April 4 and featured a quartet of Crocodile River Music’s own musicians. The theme of the performance was Melodies from Mali, which featured Balla Kouyate playing the balafon, Issa Coulibaly playing the djembe, Luke Okerlund playing guitar, and Thierno Camara playing bass. The melodic tunes offered a change-up from Crocodile River Music's normally percussion-heavy style.
May 30, 2019
Part 3: Kenya Soul & Zimbabwe Rock 'n' Roll
The Wangari Trio and Timbila joined us for our third African Music Series concert on May 30. This two-part show first featured The Wangari Trio (left two photos), led by Wangari Fahari, a Kenyan born singer and activist associated with Afro-pop, jazz, folk, and world music. She was joined by her husband, Paul Thibeault, on guitar and Crocodile River Music’s Idrissa Koné on the talking drum and calabash. Wangari's soulful sounds swept over the audience, leading into the upbeat second performance of the night from Timbila (right two photos). Timbila featured Afropop Worldwide’s Banning Eyre, who brought together African music and rock ‘n’ roll with the sounds of the Zimbabwean thumb piano and had the audience jamming.
July 28, 2019
Bonus: From Mali to Massachusetts
We held a special bonus session of the African Music Series on July 28 with BKO Quintet of Mali.
Performing an electrified and highly danceable set of Malian music, the group featured four of Mali’s finest veteran musicians: Ibrahima Sarr, Fassara Sacko, Nfali Diakité, and Abdoulaye Kone with French percussionist Aymeric Krol. BKO had the crowd chanting their name and came back on stage for an encore performance.
AMS 2014
The first of our African Music series included a lecture at the Gallery of African Art, with the following performance held at Coffeelands Café for each event
May 29, 2014
Chartwell Dutiro, Banning Eyre and Nora Balaban
Music on Mbira and Guitar
June 26, 2014
Senegal-America Project
Tony Vacca and Abdou Sarr, West African Percussion and Dance
July 31, 2014
Trinidad2Timbuktu
Bala Kouyaté, Issa Coulibaly, Ron Murray, and Guests
August 28, 2014
Debo Band
A Trio From The 11-piece Ethiopian Pop Band
Our sincere thanks to all our AMS supporters!
Additional thanks to Troy Thompson for photography for our 2024 and 2025 AMS events