The Malian Lansiné Kouyaté is a descendant of the Kela griots. His mother, Siramori Diabaté, is a well-known griotte, while his father Nankoman Kouyaté, is an established balafon player who taught his son the rudiments of the instrument, known as "the classical piano of Africa". At the age of 12, he was invited to join the Ensemble National du Mali. At the end of the 1980s, Kouyaté settled in France. He performed with his uncle, Kassé Mady Diabaté, and then spent six years on tour with Salif Keita. Drawn to experimentation, he has explored jazz, hip-hop, Cuban music, and even ballet. Along with vibraphonist David Neerman, he formed the duo Kouyaté-Neerman. In 2008, they released their disc Kangaba.