Malian-born, Oslo-based percussionist Sidiki Camara will release his new album, Ankaben, on September 4, 2026, following a lead single on August 21. Taking its title from a word meaning “Humanity,” the album brings together Malian musical traditions and an ensemble drawn from Norwegian jazz, folk and contemporary music. It follows Camara’s 2023 Spellemannprisen win for Return to the Traditions.
The project developed from Sidiki Camara // A Life in Music, a performance that debuted at Oslo World in 2024. The ensemble recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studios in June 2026, with Martin Abrahamsen handling mixing and mastering. Joining Camara are saxophonist Bendik Hofseth, vocalists Unni Løvlid and Sarah Camille, fiddler Erik Sollid, guitarists Jacob Young and Eirik Askerøi, and bassist Audun Erlien. Camille also contributes spoken word.
For Camara, the collaboration reflects a belief that music can connect people without erasing their differences. “Ankaben is about meeting across genres and cultures through mutual respect and spontaneous creation. It’s a reflection of my life’s journey through sound,” he says. His own journey has taken him from Bamako to Brussels and eventually Oslo, where he has lived since 2006. Along the way, his collaborators have included Boubacar Traoré, Bill Frisell, Ali Farka Touré and Esperanza Spalding.
An album launch concert will take place at Cosmopolite Scene in Oslo on October 18, 2026. Beyond the release, Camara hopes to take the group on a world tour, extending the album’s message of togetherness to international audiences. That remains an ambition rather than an announced itinerary, but it reflects the purpose behind Ankaben: bringing people into contact through music, mutual respect and shared creativity.