NOUMOUCOUNDA

Noumoucounda was born in Dakar to a griot family originally hailing from Tambacounda. He never actually learned the kora; it was the blood in his veins, the air that he breathed. The rich Mandinka tradition flourished in his immediate family: uncles, brothers and sisters all received solid grounding in the kora, balafon, and djembe, as well as time-honored songs and dance routines. His mother was a singer, and his father, a kora player and an integral part of Senegal's National Orchestra. Noumoucounda joined the Dakar Conservatory at the age of 20, where he focused on a traditional repertoire. However, his drive to cross boundaries led him to join Positive Black Soul in 1994, one of the pioneers in African rap, with whom he travelled the world for 20 years. He has since collaborated with many well­known artists, including Alpha Blondy, MC Solaar, Ernest Ranglin, Youssou N'Dour, and Stromae. Armed with his kora, his creative and contagious energy stirs emotions and conquers hearts. Noumoucounda truly encapsulates a new genre of versatile and modern artist -the urban griot.
In 2012, after playing kora with hip-hop acts focusing on digital production, he released his first solo album, Faling. The album was recorded live and gave pride of place to his musical virtuosity. He took Faling across the world, including China, Brazil, South Africa, the UK, and Canada.
In 2017, he created his own label and recording studio in Dakar - "Karantaba Records" - with his partner of 15 years, Fred Hirschy, a multi­instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer for the likes of Tumi Molekane, Fredy Massamba, and Awadi. The studio has enabled Noumoucounda to work on his new album.