Jalikebba Kuyateh & The Sutura Band

Jalikebba Kuyateh is a dynamic Afro-Manding kora musician, singer and composer from The Gambia. Born into a Griot family, he started playing the kora at the age of six under the guidance of his father and has been playing the kora ever since. Kuyateh is a famous griot family name.

For many years Jalikebba was the lead performer at the Tanji Village Museum and played with many groups in Africa until forming his own band, the Sutura Band. Jalikebba and the Sutura Band perform throughout The Gambia and also Senegal at festivals, cultural events and tourist venues. With his fusion of traditional and modern African music, Jalikebba brings the joyful, progressive sounds of his kora to the world. He tours Europe once a year, giving workshops and concerts as an ambassador of Gambian music.

He has released eight albums to date. Two of them – 'Naffulo' and 'Janfalla' – recently hit the market, while another album – 'Gambia Musolou' (Gambia Women) – is due for release in June 2015. Jalikebba is also a member of the famous Kora Kings, who started during the 90s. Jalikebba along with Tatadindin Jobarteh, Pa Bobo Jobarteh and Lamin Saho are known for bringing Afro-Manding, a pop-oriented music derived from the traditional music of the ancient Manding Empire, to worldwide audiences.