THE VERY TALENTED AFRO JAZZ MUSICIAN,MISTA LIONEL LOUEKE PUTTING IN HIS OWN WAY BENIN ON THE MAP!

So after Angelique Kidjo, Djimon Hounsou here's another great artist from Benin, I had heard of him but I never took the time to listen to this 34 years old married brotha. He was born in Benin and moved to Abidjan to study music at the time he was a struggling student , didn't have much mullah but was hungry for music, wanted to showcase his talent, I read this touching story of him getting up on stage in a club with no permission , people were trying to get him out of the stage but thanks to the owner who was intrigued he finished playing and u guess it by the end he got a contract..

But as any accomplished professional Lionel knew that he needed to pursue further studies to be a better musician, his first stop was @ in Paris where he met his two faithful musical partners : Massimo Biolcati and Ferenc Nemeth... With these two great musicians thus started a musical journey that took them to Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz ok hold up here.. this is where the story got interesting for me .. I didnt know such a program existed for already accomplished musicians to get a chance to perform with legendary artists such as Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard & Herbie Hancock yes the one and only Hancock.. get this the minute he heard our African brotha demo tape he was like "who's that?" He said that he never heard a guitar player play like this before.....

Since then , he's played with Hancok's quarter, aslo he's played on Angelique Kidjoe , Rhian Benson and Somi among so many other artists......
When I personally listened to part of his CD "Karibu", I was thinking wait a minute there's more to his guitar lines, mmm and I was right he also adds mouth percussion and singing...def ' an interesting brotha , oh and on that CD he has a song inspired by his wife called "Bennie's Tune"
Are u sold yet?:)

Here's his personal webbie:

http://www.lionelloueke.com/bio.html

Here's the perfect introduction of this talented brotha:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXzgWTZ2NW0

I thought this was cool, his joint performance with Somi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjkczN-A7II

Here's the webbie of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz:

www.monkinstitute.org

Djaa my brothas from Benin sont dedans aussi:)

Eyee Wayeeee:)