"Griotoubab" – a neologism forged together from the Senegalese terms "Griot" and "Toubab". The Griot are the Senegalese caste of musicians, bards, and storytellers, whom Pape Samory Seck and his family belong to. "Toubab" simply means: "white person".

Time and time again over the course of his musical career, Colognian Jazz pianist Mike Herting meets artists from Senegal, sharing both stages and recording studios with them. The rich percussion tradition of the Griot in particular, with their complex, mantra-esque rhythms proves to him a continued fascination. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021, the idea of a crossover project in cooperation with the Germany-based Griot family Seck is born. The idea is to fuse these traditional Senegalese rhythms with western Jazz sounds: Griot and Toubab, side by side, sharing the same stage.

The results of this fusion can be heard on their new album "Salam Aleikum".

Stream or buy the CD here: https://Griotoubab.lnk.to/SalamAleikumWE

Today, Mike Herting released his new album "beloved", a tribute to his late wife Sabine.

As of today, the album is available as a double CD. On March 7, it will also be released digitally on all streaming platforms.

Buy the CD here: https://mikeherting.lnk.to/BelovedWE

The Sai Symphony is a symphonic intercultural work in five movements for classical orchestra, choir and Indian and African soloists.

The upcoming album named "Sai Symphony" by Mike Herting and the Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal will come out in May. 

The renowned German pianist, composer and arranger Mike Herting is releasing his first piano solo album on November 6 2020. Inspired by the long-time work with saxophonist Charlie Mariano, Mike Herting has been involved in different music cultures for decades. As director and composer of the famous German ensemble WDR Big Band Cologne, he has been developing projects with other colleagues, such as “Sketches of Bangalore” (2000) with the soloists Charlie Mariano, R.A. Ramamani, T.A.S. Mani and other musicians. After that came other big orchestra projects with the Sai Symphony (2015), as well as concerts with the Bujazzo in India (2011-2016), Senegal and Guinea-Bissau (2013). He has carried out music studies and immersions regularly in West-Africa and this has facilitated further musical exchanges, in other words it has helped “maintain a reciprocal penetration of creativity and spirituality, and eventually, vitality in the performing process.”

The international and intercultural project Sai Symphony created by German GMO’s co-founder and artist Mike Herting started back in 2015, when the musician was traveling through India (he had previously traveled there several times) and became familiar with the local customs and musical tradition. From all his new connections, he was especially influenced by the life of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian guru and philanthropist who spread his universal messages of love and peace for all mankind. Mike then was commissioned to compose a piece for classical orchestra, choir and soloists based on Sai Baba’s messages by the Indian Sathya Sai Organization, and the result was the “Sai Symphony”.

Mike Herting is the director of the GlobalMusicOrchestra (GMO). Mike Herting has been active as a pianist, composer, and producer since the beginning of the 80s. He was the founder of the ambitious rock-jazz group Headband and belonged to the Cologne trio Härte 10, an experimental rock-funk formation.

GMO - The Label ist ein seit 2012 aktives Kölner Unternehmen, das Musik produziert, verlegt, vertreibt und gelegentlich auch Tourneen für hauseigene Künstler organisiert.

GMO konzentriert sich dabei auf Musik außerhalb des Rock- und Pop-Mainstreams. Schwerpunkte liegen im Bereich Liedermacher / Singer-Songwriter, Weltmusik, wobei diese Definition bei GMO Musik von Alternative-Rock aus Spanien bis zu europäisch-afrikanischer Jazz-Fusion umfasst, Musik mit kölschen Texten jenseits des Karnevals sowie Kinderlieder und meditative Musik.

Zu den bekanntesten GMO-Künstlern zählen AG Arsch huh, basta (A Cappella), Fug und Janina (Kindermusik-Duo), Mike Herting, Björn Heuser, Jenny And The Mexicats (Mexiko), Köster & Hocker (Liederpreis 2018, Preis der Schallplattenkritik 2019/Q3), Peggy Sugarhill & Rockemarieche, Hans Süper, Vetusta Morla (Spaniens Nr. 1 Alternative-Rock Band), William Wahl und Wonderwall.

GMO – The label has started its activities in late spring 2012. Since then an up until Feb. 2016 GMO has put out over 100 releases in physical and / or digital formats. Many of the songs released on GMO are also published through GMO's publishing company.

GMO focuses on "world music", not in a genre sense, but in a sense of internationality and of being non-mainstream: artists / releases come from New Zealand, Africa, USA, Eastern Europe, Berlin and GMO's hometown Cologne. 

GMO also runs sublabel TMO that releases music for children and traditional music. 

GMO was founded by artist, producer, arranger and conductor Mike Herting and music managers Walter Puetz (EMI, Chlodwig Musik, BMG a.m.) and Ralf Plaschke (Popkomm, 7digital, a.m.).