Tuesday's Pick: Seckou Keita Quintet

Seckou Keita is “the Hendrix of the kora world”, and his quintet is a ensemble not to be missed.

A kora, by the way, is a West African instrument built from half a large fruit called a calabash, covered with cow skin, and strung, rather like a guitar.

SKQ play Leicester this week, as part of The Black History Season, but counting Richard Bona, Bela Fleck and Bobby McFerrin among their influences, the quintet cannot be confined to any one genre, dipping comfortably in and out of styles ranging from jazz to classical to flamenco, with plenty of hints of rock and reggae, too.

Info

Seckou Keita Quintet are at the Peepul Centre, Leicester, 0116 261 6000.