Originally from the small West African nation of Benin, guitarist Lionel
Loueke has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past several years. In 2008 and
2009, he was picked as top Rising Star guitarist in Down Beat magazine's
annual Critics Poll. His sophomore release for Blue Note, Mwaliko, follows up
2007's acclaimed Karibu with a series of searching, innovative, intimate duets
with Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, Richard
Bona and Marcus Gilmore. Loueke also includes three new tracks
featuring his longtime trio with Massimo Biolcati on bass and
Ferenc Nemeth on drums.