Sura Susso

Born in Banjul, The Gambia, Surahata Susso, best known as Sura Susso is a popular Gambian Kora player and singer. He was raised in a musical family, his father; Mamudou Susso is a famous kora player and Fatou Binta Cissokho, a talented singer and percussionist. He draws his inspiration from his father, a former member of the popular band Ifang Bondi.

Growing in a traditional griot family, his roots are clearly reflected in his music where he blends traditional sounds with alternative genres, creating truly unique sounds.

Sura toured the U.K. with his brother’s band as the group’s percussionist when he was 17 years old. The experience lit up his musical career. Since then, began hosting solo acts at numerous events and locations. This saw him being invited to play for her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II during the opening ceremony for the Central Manchester City Hospitals.

Shortly afterwards, he began receiving a number of shows from countries and a number of collaborations. In 2005, he collaborated with prominent violinist Max Bailie in Senegal. Sura’s Kora and Max’s violin fuse to create an enchanting fusion of string traditions, mixing traditional West African sounds with Baroque.

Together they create unique interpretations of pieces by Bach, Merula and African bardic spiritual music. As soloists and band members, the two have appeared on stages at major events across the world such as Womad and Glastonbury and graced notorious stages such as the Sydney Opera house and more.

In 2009, at Glastonbury Festival, Sura Suso and her sister, vocalist Binta Susso, took part in a unique project that combined the theme of football with music and dance originating from Botswana. This took place at the Africa Express Event where they were invited to perform alongside the legendary artist Baaba Maal.

In 2012, he released a debut album titled ‘Sila Kang’. The project became a success. In 2013, he toured The Gambia and collaborated with a couple of local artists. In 2015, he toured East Anglia in the U.K.