Concert: Salieu Suso, Kora

Salieu Suso was born into a family of farmers and traditional musicians/historians from Gambia, West Africa that extends back nearly 1000 years. He was trained to play the 21 stringed kora (West African harp) at the age of 8, by his father, renowned Kora player, Alhaji Musa Makang Suso, and began his professional career at fifteen. Before settling in the United States in 1989, Suso performed extensively throughout Africa and Europe, playing and promoting traditional Gambian music, and the repertoire of the kora. Salieu Suso is also the leader of the Jaliya Kafo Ensemble and is a leader in the nation?s rapidly growing African music scene.