Sura Susso is a Gambian kora player, percussionist and solo musician from Bakoteh in western Gambia. He is born into a griot family, a hereditary musical and oral tradition in West Africa in which knowledge, history and performance are passed down through generations.

Early life and musical background

Susso starts learning the kora, an African harp, at an early age, alongside a range of percussion instruments. He grows up in a household where music is constantly present, and he also accompanies his father to ceremonies in local compounds. At school, he plays percussion on everyday objects, including desks, chairs and pencils.

Career in the UK and touring

He comes to the UK at the age of seventeen to tour as percussionist in his brother Seckou Keita’s band, the Seckou Keita Quintet. Those tours take him around the world and give him professional experience as a musician. He later performs as a solo artist at many events and has appearances in more than five hundred shows across over thirty countries.

Collaborations and performances

Susso performs in a range of collaborative settings as well as solo work. He works with violinist Max Baillie, mixing the sounds of kora and violin, and records the album Kora Song Radio with Askew and Avis. One of their productions, Goalmouth, combines football with music and dance from Botswana. He also performs with his sister, vocalist Binta Susso, at Glastonbury Festival in 2009 with Baaba Maal. In 2012, he is invited to perform for Queen Elizabeth II at the opening ceremony for Central Manchester City hospitals. He also contributes to a project associated with Brecon Jazz festival and performs with trumpeter Erik Truffaz.

Recording work

His debut album, Sila Kang, is released on Kuli Marow Music in 2011 and receives critical attention in national publications. The track Jalikunda on that album is a tribute to his brother’s support in his musical career. Susso’s work reflects both his Gambian roots and his interest in combining traditional music with other styles.