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Hailing from the south of Sweden and the south of Senegal, celebrated duo Sousou & Maher Cissoko present an energetic evening that

mixes traditional West African and Swedish music in a unique fusion of reggae, mbalax, folk, soul, and the blues.

About Sousou & Maher Cissoko

Swedish/Senegalese pair Sousou & Maher Cissoko is defined by their expressive singing and rhythmically-rocking music. Together with their band, comprised of well-known artists from Senegal and Sweden on kora, guitar, percussion, and bass, the combination of their rhythmic energy and intimate vocals makes their music unforgettable and has established Sousou & Maher Cissoko as a well-known duo on many different stages in Scandinavia and from world music to large pop music festivals.

Sousou grew up in southern Sweden and fell in love with the kora, a West African stringed instrument, at an early age and later traveled to Gambia at 19 to study West African Mandinka traditions. Maher Cissoko was born into a well-known griot family from Casamance, Senegal, and learned to play the kora at an early age, embellishing the tradition of the art of the kora and developing his own explosive and danceable style.

Since the release of their albums Adouna (Ajabu!, 2008) and Stockholm-Dakar (Ajabu!, 2011) they have toured in Scandinavia, South Korea, Senegal, Mali, Tanzania, and South Africa, performing at events including Way Out West, the Peace & Love Festival, the Gwanju World Music Festival, Sauti za Busara Festival, Festival Sur Le Niger, and have been supporting big-name artists including Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate, and Amadou & Mariam. They have performed several times on Swedish and Senegalese National Television and Radio. In 2014 the released Africa Moo Baalu(ARC), their most intimate album to date, in 2014 and are touring and playing at festivals in Canada this July.

Sousou & Maher Cissoko have been nominated for several awards, including Newcomer of the Year (2010), Band of the Year (2011), and Album of the Year (2012) at Sweden’s World Music Awards. Their achievements have also been awarded cultural grants by the City of Stockholm and supported by the Swedish Arts Council and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.

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Photo Courtesy of ensemble mise-en

TUE – 7-21-2015 – 7:00 PM
$15 ($10 ASF Members)