Suntou Susso

Suntou Susso is an award winning multi-instrumentalist, a kora player, percussionist, singer and composer from The Gambia, now based in the UK. Suntou comes from the 700-year-old tradition of Griot culture and his primary instrument, the kora is a harp-lute with 22 strings which is unique to the Griots of the Mandinka people. Griots play an important cultural role as peacekeepers, advisors and oral historians, preserving and transmitting a people’s culture through the generations using song, music and poetry.

Since the release of his self-written debut album, Kanéfonyo (Never Give Up) in 2022, Suntou has established himself as an in-demand and charismatic performer and a gifted composer. 2025 saw the release of his multi award-winning second studio album, Jaliya Silokang – The Path of a Griot. Drawing on the wisdom of elders and youth alike, Suntou acts as a vessel imparting lessons in how to live a good and honest life in today’s world. The album is both a journey into heritage and a bright, hopeful vision for what lies ahead. In this way, he is at once a guardian of the Griot tradition and a bold innovator of its future.

Suntou performs solo with a more traditional sound, or leads his seven-piece band, blending Mandinka musical traditions with jazz, funk and soul; and appears as part of British-Gambian folk duo. His family includes some of the world’s most highly respected West African musicians including Seckou Keita, Solo Cissokho and Mamudou Susso.