Diabel Cissokho

Fiercely proud of his Senegalese roots, kora player Diabel Cissokho is a visionary creative pushing the boundaries of the Senegalese sound, with his unique Afro Mandingue Blues style. Coming from a great line of Cissokho griots, Diabel’s musical pedigree is exceptional, counting Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Amadou and Mariam, Manu Dibango and Ernest Ranglin, as musical peers. Recently featured on BBC 4 show African Renaissance:Senegal, exploring his role as a griot, Cissokho has spent the best part of his musical career exploring the blues roots of his griot traditions. His 5th album, ‘Rhythm of the Griot’ focused on exploring and sharing this rich musical history. The album courses with a belief that the griot tradition is accessible to everyone, regardless of the languages they speak. As an ambassador for the new generation of Senegalese music, with his “resonant voice and rocking kora style” (Songlines magazine), Diabel aims to bring his unique Afro Mandingue Blues style, transcendent Mandinkan melodies, and raucous Senegalese rhythms to the world! His upcoming release ‘Tanto’ is due for relase soon...