Africa's Habib Koite rocks Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Habib Koite, one of Africa's popular musicians, entertained hundreds of fans in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

The singer performed with his band Bamada and belted out several of his new and old songs at Al Dhafra Theater at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

The event was part of the World Stage program by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

At the start of the concert, Koite said his group was excited to visit Abu Dhabi for the first time. "We were waiting to visit this part of the world for a long time…and we are here.”

For about two hours Koite performed on his guitar and sang with his band that played on Malian instruments.

It is a unique style that he draws from different regions of Mali, integrating the rock and folk sounds of the Western world, without watering down his cherished Malian roots.

Koite has sold more than 250,000 albums around the world. He was a also a guest at the television show Late Night with David Letterman.

Kote recorded a duet with Bonnie Raitt on her 2002 album Silver Lining.

Koite who was called "Mali's biggest pop star” by Rolling Stone (in article in which Bonnie Raitt compared Habib to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn) signed his new album Afriki Afriki after the concert where he met with fans.

After a six-year absence from the recording studio, Habib Koité and his band Bamada have returned with a new album, which features an appealing set of songs that reflect Habib's unique and innovative approach to the diverse styles of Malian music.