Performing Arts Houston presents the Aba Diop Trio

(HOUSTON, August 16, 2024) – Performing Arts Houston presents the Aba Diop Trio for an evening of Senegalese traditional music on September 20, at the Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater. The trio is led by Aba Diop (pronounced ABBA J-ope), a master percussionist, vocalist, and composer in an ancestral line of Senegalese griots, or wisdom keepers. Aba brings musical traditions spanning thousands of years into the 21^st century through his performances, interweaving West African music with folk, funk, and more. Tickets start at $29, at performingartshouston.org.

As part of Performing Arts Houston’s education and community engagement initiatives, the organization will host Houston-area schools for an open rehearsal and discussion with the Aba Diop Trio before their performance at the Wortham Center.

Aba Diop, Noumoucounda Cissoko, and Jason Hosier are a power trio transmitting a wholly new genre of West African sabar fusion. Combining the propulsive rhythms of Diop’s sabar drum percussion with the dulcet tones of Cissoko’s kora, the fluidity of Hosier’s jazzy, meditative guitar riffs, and vocals that integrate the griot storytelling traditions from thousands of years, the trio’s unique instrumentation creates a conversation between tradition and modernity, between east and west, between acoustic and electric.  

Aba Diop, a griot from both his mother and father’s side, has played on world stages, at major festivals, in traditional sabar ceremonies, and with diverse groups and individuals including Yo-Yo Ma, John Medeski & Billy Martin, and Youssou N’Dour. His music reflects the extent of his experiences. Elements of other global music influences are all incorporated into the West African sabar tradition he has known since birth. 

The trio’s overall effect is a mesmerizing amalgam, tethered to an ancient impulse while offering a current—and deeply listenable—reflection of our shared humanity. 

Ticket Information
Tickets start at $29. Tickets can be purchased through the Performing Arts Houston website at performingartshouston.org or by calling our box office at (713) 227-4772. To support the arts and enjoy benefits like priority access, member-exclusive pricing, no-fee exchanges, and more, become a Performing Arts Houston member at performingartshouston.org/memberships.

ABOUT PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON|
Performing Arts Houston is a leading non-profit performing arts presenter dedicated to connecting audiences with exceptional artists from around the globe. Founded in 1966, the organization remains committed to advancing artistic innovation, community engagement, and cultural enrichment. With a legacy spanning over five decades, Performing Arts Houston has presented many of the most influential artists of our time.

Each year, Performing Arts Houston presents a multi-disciplinary season of over 60 performances across Houston’s historic Theater District and venues citywide and creates a wide range of programs and opportunities for students and lifelong learners to engage with and experience the arts, including masterclasses, workshops, talks, student matinees, performance avenues for local arts groups, paid arts administration internships, a commissioning series for working Houston artists, and in-school residencies. Learn more at performingartshouston.org.

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CALENDAR DETAILS
Performing Arts Houston
presents

Aba Diop Trio
September 20, 2024
Friday, 7:30 pm
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
Tickets start at $29
performingartshouston.org

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Caroline Senter, Public Relations Associate
Email: csenter@performingartshouston.org
Phone: 713-632-8105