Mandé Maqamāt - Yahael Camara Onono

An exploration of West African folklore and its connections with the Arab world through rhythmic improvisation.

Mande Maqamāt invites audiences into a hypnotic meeting point between the Gulf and the vast musical landscapes of West Africa. Beyond trade routes and history books lies a deeper current: shared rhythms, spiritual traditions, and cultural echoes that have travelled for centuries across deserts and oceans alike.

This June, award-winning West African percussionist Yahael Camara Onono (Balimaya Project) transforms The Black Box into a laboratory of spontaneous exploration. Joined by a collective of virtuosos from the region and its diaspora, Onono weaves an evening of deep Mandé grooves, soaring Arabic maqamāt, and fearless improvisation.

Yahael Camara Onono

Yahael Camara Onono is a percussionist, composer, musical director, educator, and cultural producer whose work bridges traditional West African music, diasporic legacies, and contemporary global expression.

As the founder and bandleader of the award-winning Balimaya Project, Yahael has been celebrated internationally for redefining diasporic African music in the UK and beyond. The ensemble fuses Mandé musical heritage with London’s vibrant contemporary jazz, hip-hop, and orchestral scenes, creating a sound that is both deeply rooted and boldly innovative.

Beyond performance, Yahael’s practice extends into creative direction and intercultural production. He has collaborated with leading cultural institutions, including The Barbican Centre — where he made history as its first ever contemporary artist-in-residence — The White Cube Gallery (for artist Ibrahim Mahama), and the V&A Museum. His performances and curatorial projects have featured at major international festivals such as WOMAD, SXSW (Austin, Texas), Jazz à Vienne, and the Montreux Jazz Festival, alongside sold-out headline performances at the Barbican Centre (2021, 2023, 2025), La Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris (2023), and other leading UK and European venues.

As an educator and mentor, Yahael has facilitated masterclasses, lectures, and workshops worldwide, sharing his expertise in Mandé rhythmic systems, ensemble leadership, and diasporic musical storytelling. He has delivered guest professorships at the prestigious New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where he has been Artist-in-Residence since January 2026.

Yahael’s collaborative work spans genres and generations, including projects with Davido, Odumodublvck, Obongjayar, Anaïs, Salif Keita, and Pa Salieu. His film and soundtrack credits include compositions for Disney’s Mufasa (2024), Disney’s Iwaju (2024), and the Roundhouse Film Project (2023).

Throughout his career, Yahael has remained dedicated to community-building and the preservation of cultural memory through music, using rhythm, melody, and storytelling as powerful tools for education, dialogue, and transformation across cultures.