Keba Bobo Cissoko was born and raised in a jali village in Guinea Bissau. He lived the traditional “Jali” life until he moved to Guinea-Conakry in the early eighties. In Conakry, he became a member of the Ballets Africains and of the Ensemble Instrumental National. He was a founding member of the Merveilles d’Afrique and toured the world with these ensembles.
In 1996, Keba established himself as one of the greatest kora players and singers living in the United States. He taught and performed throughout the country. He was the leader of the Tamalalou ensemble. Keba participated in many groups and recordings; among them: Reginald Yates, Maimouna Keita, Feraba and Fula Flute.
Keba, as soloist and as leader of his group Tamalalou, was featured on the Smithsonian Folkways compilation: Badenya, Manden Jaliya in New York City, released in 2002.
Keba Bobo Cissoko, died February 8th, 2003.
Discography:
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.
