Yirolu Bala · Within the Trees
From Jaliya Silokang — The Path of a Griot
Watch on YouTube ↗The Gambia · Kora · Voice · Living tradition
SUNTOU SUSSO
The Path of the Griot
Meet Suntou Susso
A voice of today.
A story carried
through generations.
A Gambian kora player, singer, percussionist and composer, Suntou Susso brings the art of the Griot into the present — with warmth, virtuosity and an instinct for bringing people together.
Born into a family of Griots, he carries a tradition of storytelling, cultural memory and music. His 22-string kora can make a room fall quiet; his voice and rhythms can bring it to its feet.
From the intimacy of a solo concert to a band moving between Mandinka music, jazz, funk and soul, Suntou gives that inheritance a distinctly personal, contemporary life.
The current album · Released 2025
Jaliya Silokang
The Path of a Griot
Following his 2022 debut Kanéfonyo — Never Give Up, Suntou’s second album looks into his heritage and towards the lives still to come. Family, belonging, integrity and care for the natural world run through its songs.
It is a record grounded in the responsibilities of a Griot, open to new musical company — including Vieux Farka Touré.
Begin here
Yirolu Bala
Within the Trees
A song about the world
we leave to the next generation.
Suntou × Vieux
Two instruments.
A shared conversation.
The encounter with Vieux Farka Touré is a special thread on Jaliya Silokang. Hear their collaboration, then follow the connection to another artist in the GRIOT family.
A meeting of strings
Joulou Fola
Suntou Susso featuring Vieux Farka Touré
The Gambian kora and Malian guitar meet in a song celebrating string players and the musical inheritance they carry forward.
The Bandcamp player loads when you choose to listen.
Open the song on Bandcamp ↗Meet Vieux Farka Touré ↗
On stage · Looking towards 2027
One musical voice.
Many ways to meet it.
Solo intimacy, a close-knit band,
or the Gambian Superstars.
01 · Solo
The Future is Ancestral
Kora, voice and percussion, with stories about Gambian life and Griot culture. Original songs and reimagined traditional pieces make an intimate evening that can end with djembe rhythms and a dancing audience.
02 · With band
Roots with a rhythmic lift
A flexible ensemble, from four musicians upwards, brings bass, guitar and drums around the kora. Larger formations add keyboards, percussion and other voices: a joyful meeting of Mandinka music, jazz, funk and soul.
03 · Gambian Superstars
The homecoming sound
Suntou’s Gambian ensemble draws on the musical relationships behind both albums. Their performance of “Badinya” offers a vivid introduction to that collective energy. Availability and touring arrangements are discussed individually.
A living connection
From the stage
into the crowd.
Three different glimpses
of Suntou’s musical world.
Badinya
Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars · Homecoming Tour
Watch on YouTube ↗Amongst the audience
Sidmouth Folk Festival · 6 August 2026
Watch on YouTube ↗Kanèfonyo · Never Give Up
Suntou Susso · Official music video
Watch on YouTube ↗Videos load from YouTube when you press play.
Explore · The people behind the music
The future
has deep roots.
Meet Suntou’s father, kora master Mamudou Susso. Hear the instrument in a chamber ensemble. Follow the musical friendships that keep opening new paths.
Explore Suntou’s world ↗Bring Suntou to your stage.
European enquiries · 2027
Solo & band programmes
Talk to GRIOT about the right format, dates and production for your venue or festival.