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Moussa Kouyate, born in 1956 in the Casamance region of Southern Senegal, is a master kora artist, hereditary player and instrument maker of pure decent. Kouyate is part of the jeli family Kouyate/Kuyateh, fathers of West African music, advisors to kings and holders of the anthology of the music of the Mandinka people since 1235. The rhythm of Moussa’s music is taken from these fundamental roots and is classical in nature. Moussa lived and worked in Dakar for twenty years alongside many legendary West African musicians, including Soundoulou Cissokho ‘Le Roi de la kora,’ with whom he enjoyed a particularly close relationship. Indeed, it was Cissokho who prophesied that Moussa would inherit the title of ‘King.’ Moussa would be main man in the celebrated Senegalese band, ‘Allahlake,’ for any years, composing and inspiring much of their work. Moussa is now based in The Gambia, where he is an established master teacher and instrument maker. He is also a mentor to many Senegambian musicians. He established his international artist status after making his first visit to the U.K. in 1999, playing at WOMAD and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, to some considerable acclaim. He also completed an Arts Council of England funded tour in 2000. |
