dudu kouate + julia bilat

Dudù Kouate was born in Senegal in 1963 into a family of griots, the conservators of the African cultural and musical tradition. Member since 2017 of the historic Art Ensemble of Chicago, Dudù’s performances are famous for his array of 200+ instruments (many of which are manufactured by Dudù himself from recycled and upcycled materials) with which he journeys to the roots of the sounds of the earth - a journey he names the search for the ‘sound of elements’.

Recognised as an enhancer of traditional instruments, especially percussion and idiophones, he has expanded their inclusion within diverse musical contexts. His debut album Africation saw him mark a new creative phase, including string and wind instruments from the Berber lute (xalam) to the kanjira, from the djembè, the Senegalese drum, to pan-African flutes and the Australian didgeridoo.

For this performance, Dudù will be joined by Berlin-based cellist, improviser, and composer Julia Biłat. Bridging classical music, jazz, performance, and free improvisation, her cello becomes a resonating body for voice, movement, and space – at times delicate and fragile, at times powerful and eruptive. This collaboration won’t be a concert in the classical sense – but a journey that sets both body and senses in motion.