Father and Son
Mamudou Susso & Suntou Susso · Tour film
Watch on YouTube ↗The Path of the Griot
THE FUTURE
IS ANCESTRAL.
Family, memory and the freedom
to make something new.
01 · A living inheritance
More than
the music alone.
For Suntou, being a Griot is a role within a community as well as a musical calling.
In Mandinka culture, Griots preserve histories, share knowledge and bring people together through song, poetry and music. Suntou was born into this centuries-old tradition in The Gambia, surrounded by musicians whose lives were devoted to it.
The kora sits at the centre of his own musical language. Its interlocking patterns support a voice concerned with everyday human questions: how we live together, what we owe one another and what we pass on.
02 · Father & son
An inheritance
you can hear.
Suntou Susso
& Mamudou Susso
With his father, Griot elder and kora master Mamudou Susso, the connection between generations becomes a musical conversation.
Their 2025 UK tour began with Suntou alone before his father joined him. At the end, younger brother Musa completed a trio of koras — a family sharing its music across generations.
The film gives a glimpse of that encounter: the listening, the shared language and the pleasure of playing together. A father-and-son recording is also in development, with its release date still to be announced.
03 · Another musical setting
The kora
in new company.
A meeting with contemporary
chamber music.
Jula Jekereh
Suntou Susso, James Larter, Colin Alexander, Rosie Bowker & Hyelim Kim
Watch on YouTube ↗Presented by NW Live Arts, this performance places Suntou’s music in a different ensemble setting. A traditional song becomes a meeting point for musicians whose instruments and backgrounds bring new colours to its unfolding.
The same openness runs through his other collaborations: with Norwegian singer Kristin Asbjørnsen, English fiddle player Ross Grant and This Is the Kit, whose album Careful of Your Keepers features Suntou. He also joined the band at Glastonbury in 2024.
04 · Jaliya Silokang
What we carry.
What we leave.
Released in 2025, Jaliya Silokang — The Path of a Griot places Suntou’s own songs within the continuing life of his tradition.
“Yirolu Bala” asks us to care for trees and the world future generations will inherit. “Joulou Fola”, with Vieux Farka Touré, celebrates the connection between string players and those who came before them.
The record follows Kanéfonyo — Never Give Up, his 2022 debut. Across both albums, his voice remains personal and inviting, whether the arrangement centres on the kora or opens out into a full band.
Explore the album and its songs ↗
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 ↗
The solo encounter
“He was the master of a magical evening—one of those rare ones that make people remember their better selves.”
Mayfest in the Woods · Quoted in Suntou’s solo programme
05 · The next stage
A path
still opening.
For 2027, Suntou’s solo and band programmes offer different ways to encounter his music: a listening room, a concert hall or a festival audience ready to dance.
Each format begins with the same qualities — a distinctive voice, the intricacy of the kora and the warmth of a musician who sees performance as an exchange.
Discover the live formats ↗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.