Jally Kebba Susso
Jally Kebba Susso is a musical and cultural ambassador for gambia in the UK. He is a kora player and composer and he’s come to shake things up.
In West African culture, the kora is the traditional harp of the griot. The griot plays a key part by bringing together the skills of a historian, musician, storyteller and diplomat to steer the community and its leadership to a better future. You can only be born a griot, inheritance being the only path. And Jally Kebba plays from a background of 74 generations of musical heritage. In November 2022 he was awarded the title of Musical and Cultural Ambassador for Gambia in UK & Europe from the High Commissioner of the Gambia in UK.
Raised in a household of musicians, Jally Kebba was exposed to incredible musicianship from a very early age. He learnt to play under the guidance of his father the late Bully Suso, a very well-respected kora player and his elder brothers. By 13 he was touring internationally across West Africa, Belgium, Holland and UK. This early exposure and inherent ambition led Jally to his mission: to expand the boundaries of the griot tradition whilst keeping its heart and soul intact
After settling to London in 2002, Jally’s musical horizons widened. He started arranging music combining jazz, rock, blues and Afro-funk. He formed his band Manding Sabu – the essence of Manding – in 2007.
This is a new sound for the West African harp. Jally Kebba skillfully blends the traditional repertoire into his own heady jazz concoction that is immediately accessible and uplifting and yet filled with nuances and intoxicating rhythmical layers that give the music depth and intrigue. His songs, sung in Mandinka, call for unity and togetherness. They are songs of praise and love and are a timely call for togetherness and solidarity, palpable to all language speakers.
