Kadialy Kouyate – Toña (ARC Music, 2025)
Senegalese kora player, singer, and composer Kadialy Kouyate returns with Toña, his ninth album and perhaps his most introspective to date. The title means “truth” in Mandinka. It reflects the album’s central theme: examining personal and ancestral memory as a foundation for resilience and self-understanding.
Born in Kolda, southern Senegal, Kouyate descends from a long line of Kouyate jalis, hereditary storytellers and musicians entrusted with preserving oral histories.
Since relocating to London in his twenties, Kouyate has become a vital force in the local world music scene, performing internationally and collaborating with artists including Baaba Maal, Abel Selaocoe, Mumford & Sons, Shabaka Hutchings, and Greentea Peng.
Toña takes a personal turn. Kouyate describes it as “a diary of my own therapy sessions,” with each track offering reflections on migration, identity, tradition, and love.
The album opens with “Kana Cumbo,” a lullaby dedicated to his late mother, rooted in Senegalese folklore with an exquisite interaction between kora and acoustic bass. It is built on melodic threads from the traditional song “Ayo Nene.” The song gently evokes childhood memories and emotional resilience.
The joyful “Kibaroh” (“news”) revisits the jali role as a communal messenger, while “Karafoh” honors mentors, especially his uncle, who inspired his pursuit of education. This part of Kouyate’s career eventually lead to postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a teaching post at SOAS University of London.
Other highlights include “Kana Dah,” a defiant tribute to ancestors lost to slavery, composed during Kouyate’s time as a dialect coach on the remake of the miniseries Roots; and “Kanou Foro Ka Di,” a celebratory track centered on conscious love, featuring Al MacSween on keyboards and Mamadou Sarr on calabash.
The mood shifts with “Famo Keta,” an instrumental meditation on homesickness, featuring Josh Middleton on accordion, and “Musolu Barata,” a rhythmic tribute to the hard-working women of Senegal.
“Jamba Dongo” draws on memories of Mandinka initiation dances, while “Hameh Julo,” with Mina Mikhael Salama on oud, addresses the ongoing crisis of migration with a balance of gravity and hope.
The album closes with “Ça Ira,” a message of collective resilience and support.
Kouyate’s kora style, developed partly in response to physical limitations, relies on a uniquely personal technique developed by both oral tradition and formal study.
Kadialy Kouyate’s discography includes Small Talk, with Fimber Bravo (Harmonia Mundi, 2005); Champions of Africa, especially commissioned for the 2010 World Cup (West One Music, 2010);
Rhythms of the Atlantic, with Venezuelan harp player Leonard Jacome (KKSOUNDARCHIVE, 2015);
Na Kitabo (KKSOUNDARCHIVE, 2016); Taling Dimalu (Beautiful Tales) (KKSOUNDARCHIVE, 2019); Nemo (KKSOUNDARCHIVE, 2020); Aado, Senegalese Kora (ARC Music, 2021); and Terri Kunda (House of Friendship) (ARC Music, 2023).
Musicians: Kadialy Kouyate on kora, vocals (all tracks); Davide Mantovani on double bass, electric bass; Mamadou Sarr on calabash, jembe, sabar percussion; Abdoulaye Samb on guitar; Josh Middleton on accordion; Al MacSween on keyboard; and Mina Mikhael Salama on oud.
All tracks composed and arranged by Kadialy Kouyate.
Recorded in London, UK.
Produced and musically directed by Kadialy Kouyate.
Engineered by Davide Mantovani.
Mixed and mastered by Pete Ardron.
Photography, product design and liner notes by Sarah Wanstall.
Buy Toña.
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.