N’Faly Kouyaté’s new take on “Yèkè Yèkè” offers a thoughtful reworking of one of West Africa’s most internationally recognised tracks. Originally composed and recorded by the late Mory Kanté in 1987, “Yèkè Yèkè” was the first African single to sell over a million copies in Europe, introducing a global audience to the possibilities of Mandinka music fused with electronic production. Kouyaté’s 2025 version, released via Groover Obsessions and produced by Nico d’Avell, revisits the song not as a static artefact but as a living form—capable of absorbing new textures, contexts and generational perspectives.

What distinguishes this version is its dual vocal arrangement: Kouyaté’s own voice is interlaced with archival stems of Kanté’s original performance, creating a layered temporal effect that’s both reflective and forward-moving. The track’s harmonic structure matches the urgency of the original but repurposed here with a more refined, club-ready production style. Where Kanté’s 1980s version foregrounded the balafon and synthetic brass typical of the era, Kouyaté opts for a more spacious mix, allowing percussion and subtle electronic treatments to build tension gradually rather than explode into instant release.

A griot born into a prominent Guinean musical lineage, Kouyaté has long operated at the intersection of tradition and electronica. His work with Afro Celt Sound System over the past two decades—blending kora and balafon with Celtic folk, electronic and pop—has made him one of the more understated yet consistently inventive figures in contemporary Afro-diasporic music.

Crucially, Kouyaté doesn’t frame “Yèkè Yèkè” as a museum piece. He treats it as repertoire—material to be performed, adapted, and reimagined. In doing so, he honours Kanté’s legacy not by preserving it in amber, but by demonstrating its capacity to evolve across time and space.

For updates on releases and live performances, visit N’Faly Kouyaté’s official website