Percussionist and cultural ambassador Sidiki Camara has announced Ankaben, a new album that brings together an exceptional group of Norwegian musicians. The album will be released on September 4, 2026, following a lead single on August 21, and will be presented live at Cosmopolite Scene in Oslo on October 18.
The ensemble on Ankaben includes saxophonist Bendik Hofseth, vocalist Unni Løvlid, vocalist and spoken word artist Sarah Camille, fiddler Erik Sollid, guitarists Jacob Young and Eirik Askerøi, and bassist Audun Erlien. Together with Camara, they create a sound rooted in Malian tradition while opening into jazz, folk, contemporary music and spontaneous collaboration.
The album developed from the performance Sidiki Camara // A Life in Music, which debuted at Oslo World in 2024. Camara and the ensemble entered Rainbow Studios in Oslo in June 2026 to record the material, with Martin Abrahamsen handling mixing and mastering.
At the heart of the project is Camara’s belief that music can be an alternative to conflict and division. “Ankaben is about meeting across genres and cultures through mutual respect and spontaneous creation,” Camara says. “It’s a reflection of my life’s journey through sound.”