- country:Senegal
- style(s):Folk
- label:Ajabu!
- type:Solo
- gender:male
- instrumentation:vocal, singer songwriter
- artist posted by:Ajabu!
Line up
- Maher Cissoko (Vocals, Kora)
Links
NEW ALBUM "KORA WORLD" OUT IN FALL WORLDWIDE ON AJABU! RECORDS!
Maher Cissoko was born to be a kora player in one of the greatest Griot families in Casamance, Senegal. His family has seen the art of the griot and kora playing being passed from generation to generation through more than 700 years.
Maher has embellished the tradition and developed his own explosive and danceable style. Besides playing the kora, he is also a percussionist, which you can hear in his rhythmical way of playing the kora. He plays various West African percussion instruments, such as Calabash, Djembe and Tama (Talking Drum). Maher has been playing in different bands and is influenced by styles and techniques of other musical genres like reggae, latin, funk and jazz.
He has also been touring around festivals such as Womad and Glastonbury with his brother Solo Cissokho and the family band Jalikunda Cissokho with Seckou Keita. Like his older brothers Solo and Fily Cissokho (yes they spell their names differently), he's now a full time musician in Europe and a former student of the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm.
Together with Sousou Cissoko, he has released 3 albums and have been touring in 30 countriels like: USA, Kanada, South Korea, Scandinavia, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa performing at festivals like Gwanju World Music Festival, Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar, Peace & Love Festival in Sweden, Festival Sur Le Niger in Mali and supporting artists like Toumani Diabate and Amadou & Mariam. Maher has also performed several times in Swedish and Senegalese National Television and Radio.