The sound of Ballake Sissoko’s 21-string kora identifies him, along with Toumani Diabate, as one of the best kora players of a new generation of…
Artist Profiles: Ballake Sissoko
Tag: kora
Artist Profiles: Balla Tounkara
Balla Tounkara is a jeli (also known as griot by westerners) and master kora player from Mali, West Africa. He and his band, Groupe Spirit,…
Diali Cissokho Brings North Carolina and M’bour Together on Routes
Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba – Routes (Twelve Eight Records, 2018) Routes is the new album by North Carolina-based Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba. Diali…
Artist Profiles: Salieu Suso
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…
Artist Profiles: Papa Susso
Papa Susso is a master kora (African harp/lute) player and jali (oral historian, also known as griot) from The Gambia, West Africa. He hails from…
Artist Profiles: Malamini Jobarteh
Malamini Jobarteh was a jali and one of Gambia’s greatest musical and cultural icons. In the late 1970s Alhaji Bai Konte and Malamini Jobarteh toured…
Artist Profiles: Dembo Jobarteh
Dembo Jobarteh was a member of a well know jeli family (known as Jobarteh in Gambia and Diabate in Mali). His father played the kora…
Spellbinding Meeting of the Celtic and African Harps
Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita – Soar (bendigedig, 2018) Two exceptional musician representing distinct traditions and harps celebrate the magnificent osprey bird on their album…
Artist Profiles: Sona Jobarteh
Maya Sona Jobarteh was born in London in 1983. She is the first professional female kora player. Sona is part of the Jobarteh/Diabaté family of…
Sekou Kouyate to Showcase at Visa for Music in Rabat
Guinean kora innovator Sekou Kouyate is set to perform on November 23, 2017 at 21:30 at Salle la Renaissance in Rabat, Morocco. This concert is…