Griot punk noise: three words and a trio on stage that will take you to the wildest African dreams. Singer Kaito Winse, the last of the old griot family from Burkina Faso in West Africa and guardian of a tradition passed down from generation to generation, met two Belgian musicians: drummer Benjamin Chaval and guitarist Nico Gitt. They recorded their first full-length album together in October 2020, launching a multicultural dialogue built on pure trance and total immersion in the essence of sound.
The trio mainly plays songs composed by Kaito, but everyone in the band has the right to add a bit of themselves to the song. While Griot keeps a firm grip on African proverbs and wisdom, his Belgian colleagues add underground incorrectness. Whispers, flute solos, African rhythms and free jazz, plus baritone guitar (an unusual combination of classical electric guitar and bass) and electronic backing that wraps the whole sound in a compact structure.
Read moreIn 2022, the Grammy Awards committee asked the trio Avalanche Kaito to create a video that they could post on their networks. No wonder they wanted a video - after all, Kaito is not only a phenomenal singer and MC, but also an unparalleled performer and dancer. When we saw him fiendishly shaking it up on one of the best stages at the biggest world music showcase, WOMEX, we were totally disarmed. His dance is from another world, a world of African legends and mysteries.