Bamako Express
news
New album release
november 2026
With L'Ombre du Croco, their debut album, Bamako Express builds a musical bridge between worlds. Sung in Bambara—a language widely spoken across Mali and Burkina Faso—the songs explore themes of family, love, traditon, identty, and human connecton. Warm vocals, hypnotc balafon melodies, virtuosic violin, and infectous rhythms come together to create a rich and colorful sound that is both deeply rooted and refreshingly contemporary.
Flanders Folk Awards winner - Best live band 2026
The award for Best Live Band goes to Bamako Express. The quartet serves up a vibrant mix of sound and culture, where Western folk and West African rhythms meet. With guitar, violin, djembe, and balafon, Florian De Schepper, Anouk Sanczuk, Joël Diarra, and Ousmana Diarra take the audience on a musical adventure that transcends borders and connects hearts. Over the past year, with their irresistible energy and genuine joy of playing, they have conquered both the balfolk and concert stages in Flanders and far beyond.
"Two worlds that, at first glance, seem worlds apart, but which come together seamlessly thanks to their virtuosity and unbridled joy of playing. Percussion and melodies are effortlessly woven into grooves that could make even a refrigerator dance. Their stage presence is one big party, bathed in sunshine, joy, and an irresistible urge to go all out", says Christian Martin of PlayRight+.