Cheick Hamala Diabate

“The notes chimed and twirled, merging with the clipped beats of the djembe, the balafon, the beaded calabash and the Western drum kit. The music was simultaneously static and propulsive, and designed to get people moving.”
— Huffington Post

A steward of the 800-year-old tradition of the griot, the storytellers of West Africa, the Grammy-nominated Cheick Hamala Diabate creates joyous, danceable grooves on multiple instruments: he’s a master of the ngoni (a stringed lute and ancestor to the banjo), a banjo wizard, and a virtuosic guitarist, he has learned from and played with the full pantheon of Malian musical greats, including Toumani Diabate (a first cousin), Oumou Sangare, Ali Farka Touré, and Salif Keita, to name a few.

What to Expect:
This event will be “up in the club” with cabaret-style seating. When the weather holds, we’re outside under Pavilion, a work of art created by Dré Wapenaar, located directly outside our museum lobby. Be ready to make new friends – our tables seat five and if your party is smaller, you might find others at your table. Cheers to live music and warm summer nights!

Planning on dinner before the show? Look no further than our museum café, serving dinner and snacks from 6:30-8:30pm. Lickety Split rolls out a summer menu of seasonal favorites including Vermont black bean burgers, Angus burgers, tomato-basil paninis, quiche, and a summer salad featuring field greens, goat cheese, and grilled pineapple, all priced at $10 or less. Inside or out, our cafe will deliver your dinner, and the bar is always well-stocked.

All tickets are non-refundable.