Cheikh Nd.

Bassist and composer Cheikh, originally from Senegal, West Africa, has been described as a “Young Lion” with the path he embarked upon so early in his career. The multi-instrumentalist revealed the depth of his artistry with his first CD release, A Child’s Tale, in which musical giants such as Randy Brecker, Russell Ferrante, Dave Weckl and Karen Briggs contributed to the worldly flair that Cheikh brought with his African influenced sonic palette. In his latest record, Sons of Africa,confirms the maturity of his musicality by exhibiting his mastery of various African styles with rhythms ranging from the northern Gnawa to Western Senegal’s Mbalax combined with outrageous Latin flavor skillfully executed by Grammy recipient and Cuban drummer and percussionist extraordinaire, Raul Pineda. Cheikh's collaborations include guitarist Mike Stern, pianist Arshak Sirunyan, master Sabar percussionist Thio Mbaye among others. In this musical journey,introduces the centuries old West African Xalam to a new and decidedly modern, Western context. With the Cheikh& Friends concept,accelerates the creativity and on-stage dynamism by introducing the unique combinations and collaborations brought by diverse musical luminaries such as Japanese virtuoso guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, Dean Brown (Marcus Miller Band), world renowned Senegalese singer Baaba Maal (Black Panther/Black Hawk Down), the extraordinarily talented Faada Freddy (Daara J), violinist Karen Briggs (Yanni), drummers Marcus Baylor (The Baylor Project) and Raul Pineda (Chucho Valdez), master percussionists Eliel Lazo and Weedie Braimah, pianist Arshak Surinyan and Manami Morita, to name a few. Cheikh& Friends has performed for a global audience in Africa, Europe and North America, including Senegal’s Saint-Louis Jazz Festival. Experience the artistry and music!