Born into a family of traditional African jalis (musician-historians), Salieu Suso began training on the 21-stringed kora at the age of 8, and began his professional career by the age of fifteen. He has performed widely throughout the U.S., Africa and Europe, and is known for his diverse range of musical collaborations.
In 2003 he ventured into an exciting exploration of African and Afro-Cuban rhythms with three master percussionists: Benny Arocho (bata, bugarabu, Thai klong yaw); Olympia Ward (chekere, conga, jembe); and John Ward (jembe).
One of Salieu Suso’s songs, “Sidi Yellah” was featured on the album Badenya: Manden Jaliya in New York City, a compilation of Manden and Mandinka Music by musicians in New York City (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2001)
Salieu composed Tootie’s Last Suit, the soundtrack to a documentary film.
Discography:
Griot (Lyrichord Discs, 19930
Message from Home, with Pharoah Sanders (Verve Records, 1996)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
