Sura Susso is a master kora player from The Gambia, born into a family of griots. Griots, referred to in Mandinka as Jali, are cultural figures, orators, lyricists and musicians across West Africa who carry the cultural knowledge and identity of the people.
At seventeen, Sura moved to the UK as a percussionist in his brother’s Seckou Keita Quintet, and since then has performed over 500 shows in more than 30 countries, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with a wide range of international musicians. These include Baaba Maal, Rokia Traoré, Habib Koité, and Sona Jobarteh.
Sura’s music draws deeply from his Mandinka roots while also exploring cross-cultural collaboration. He has worked with artists such as violinist Maximilian Baillie, erhu player Ling Peng, sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee, jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz, opera singer Pumeza, and multi-instrumentalist Pete Josef, as well as the duo Askew and Avis on the album Kora Song Radio.
His debut album, Sila Kang (2011), was a passionate and contemplative reflection on his musical journey. His follow-up, Tila Saba (2021), delves into the cyclical nature of time, blending past, present, and future through the kora’s timeless voice.