Casa África‘s Las Palmas de Gran Canaria headquarters (Alfonso XIII Street, 5.) will host a talk and concert by Ivorian artist Manou Gallo on June 24th. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, Manou Gallo will perform a concert the previous evening at 7:30 p.m. in Plaza de Santa Ana. Both events are free of charge.
The Canarias Jazz & Más International Festival celebrates its 35th edition with a program that brings together major international figures, national artists, and Canarian acts across various venues throughout the archipelago. From July 3rd to 25th, 2026, the festival will bring jazz and creative music to all eight islands, combining concerts in theaters, auditoriums, and open-air spaces. A firmly established event on the Canarian cultural calendar, it offers audiences a diverse, contemporary, and high-quality program, with jazz as a meeting point for regions, styles, and generations.
Casa África joins this unmissable Canary Islands music event once again this year, contributing to the African portion of the lineup. Specifically, on July 24th at 5:30 pm, we are fortunate to have Manou Gallo’s band at our headquarters, where they will offer a talk and an unplugged concert for anyone who wants to join us. The previous evening, Manou will perform at 7:30 pm in Plaza de Santa Ana.
Manou Gallo, nicknamed “The African Queen of Bass” by Bootsy Collins, is an exceptionally talented Ivorian artist whose musical career reflects an overwhelming passion and boundless artistic commitment. Gifted with a dazzling slap technique and an unrelenting groove, she has impressed some of the most prominent figures in the music world, sharing the stage with giants such as Wyclef Jean, Manu Dibango, Marcus Miller, and Christian McBride.
After making history in the music world with the legendary groups Woya and Zap Mama, with whom she toured stages around the globe, she launched her solo career in 2003, creating her own groups, such as Manou Gallo’s Women Band and The Groove Orchestra. Her music, a bold fusion of Afrobeat, funky jazz, and traditional African rhythms, has earned her recognition as one of the top 10 African bass players and the Best African Instrumentalist Award in Benin in 2022.
Manou has also composed for the theater and was the musical director of the first CD by the young Zimbabwean group Mokoomba. Gifted with a natural talent for percussion, she has transformed this passion into a unique bass playing style, where harmonies, melodies, and rhythms intertwine with uncommon fluidity. But beyond the stage, Manou Gallo remains deeply connected to her African roots and the continent’s social challenges. As a socially conscious artist, she is particularly sensitive to the plight of women in Africa. Through her international success as an accomplished bassist, singer, and musician, she has become an inspiration to young African women, demonstrating that ambition, empowerment, and independence are within their reach.
Manou Gallo is synonymous with modernity, talent, and strength, while also representing Africa on the international stage.
LINEUP:
Manou Gallo (bass, vocals)
Matteo De Vito (drums)
Joël Rabesolo (guitar)
Rubén González (trumpet)