Pcha

The pioneering Mali–Burkina Faso trio blend balafon with amapiano, afrobeats and electronic music – intricate and joyful.

Siaka Traoré, known as Pcha, is part of a new generation redefining the sound of Mali. Born in Sikasso into a family of master musicians, he grew up immersed in the Senufo balafon tradition of southern Mali. His father is Neba Solo, one of Mali’s great balafon players. From him, Pcha inherited both the instrument and a formidable musical language. A virtuoso in his own right, his dazzling, high-speed playing draws deeply on that tradition while carrying it unmistakably into the present.  

For this acoustic trio, Pcha strips his music back to its roots. The balafon takes centre stage alongside musicians from neighbouring Burkina Faso: Seydou Kienou on traditional percussion and Aboubacar Konaté on ngoni. Together, they create a dynamic, intricate sound. Their music is driven by interlocking rhythms, rapid melodic dialogue, and the rich musical connections that cross the Mali-Burkina Faso border. 

This stripped-back setting reveals another side of an artist who is equally comfortable blending balafon with amapiano, afrobeats and electronic music. Without the club production, the power and precision of Pcha’s playing comes into sharp focus. It reveals the deep tradition at the heart of an artist intent on taking the balafon somewhere new.