Lionel Loueke

Solo Artist

Lionel Loueke began playing guitar at the age of 17. After Benin first encountered jazz, he left his hometown and arrived at the National Academy of Art in Ivory Coast. In 1994, he left Africa to study at the American Conservatory of Modern Music in Paris and continued to study jazz. Later he came to the United States. While studying at the Berklee College of Music, he met future trio teammate Massimo Biolcati and Ferenc Nemeth. After graduating, he was accepted by the Thelonious Monk Conservatory of Music and studied with several of his key teachers, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard.

Hancock praised him as a "music painter." He combined the complex harmony and rhythm of the leap, the music mixed with African charm, and the use of sophisticated playing techniques to create classical sounds. He and the Blue Note Orchestra debuted in Karibu for the first time in 2008 and performed trio performances with Hancock and gained wide acclaim. In 2010, she participated in a series of performances with Mwaliko. In 2012, he conducted a series of explorations on electric sound with famous musician Heritage and a series of well-known musicians.

In addition to the solo album and his trio band, you can see him in the live and performance of a series of big-name musicians. He participated in the world tour with Hancock as part of the 75th anniversary All-Star lineup of the Blue Note band.